The Battle of Loos

Lance Corporal Bernard Scott Budge served with Company D, 5th Battalion, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. The young soldier was wounded by shrapnel during the Battle of Loos.

Quartermaster Corps: Show Me the Bacon!

The task of feeding soldiers during WWI was enormous and the logistics staggering. For the first time in U.S. history, a trained military unit was responsible for supplying the troops.

Young Mr. Hemingway in Italy

In the winter and spring of 1918, Ernest Hemingway churned out several feature stories for The Kansas City Star about military recruiting campaigns.

Trench Warfare

Over four years, both sides of WWI would launch attacks against the enemy’s trench lines, attacks that resulted in horrific casualties.

Red Summer

American servicemen returned from the First World War only to find a new type of violent conflict waiting for them at home.

Soldiers’ Mail

Mail service has historically been a cornerstone of American life and communication, and that was especially true for those serving overseas during World War I.

Stories from the Somme

Lieut. Raymond B. Penniman was just one of countless young men who fought in the Battle of the Somme. The following letters were donated to the Museum in 2013 by his relatives.

June 28, 1914

Late this morning, two shots rang out from a street corner in the center of this city, mortally wounding the archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sophie

Italy Enters World War I

When World War I began in July 1914, Italy was a partner in the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but decided to remain neutral.

Pandemic Then and Now

As American soldiers mobilized for war in the spring of 1918, a handful of army physicians began noticing a worrisome influenza moving among their soldiers.

Grenades

In World War I, hand grenades were also known as “hand bombs.” The general philosophy for their use in the fighting armies was that grenades could kill the enemy underground or behind cover.

Football and WWI

Sports, including football, had an important role in preparing U.S. soldiers for combat in World War I.

Dogs in WWI

Dogs played an important military role for most European armies during World War I, serving in a variety of tasks. Dogs hauled machine gun and supply carts.