The ceremony was a great show.  I hope you got to see it, whether you were there personally, watched it on the Internet, or the re-broadcast on C-SPAN3.

The April 17th issue of TIME has a nice article by David Von Drehle, TIME’s editor-at-large, who lives and works in Johnson County, on the Kansas side of the Kansas City Metro area.  It’s a nice tribute entitled, “The World May Little Note, but Kansas City Still Remembers:”

http://time.com/4728314/kansas-city-still-remembers/

The hard copy includes a photo of the Liberty Memorial.

I think it would be an understatement to say that I have shown many times on this blog my admiration for the work done by the staff of the National World War I Museum and Memorial these last few years in promoting interest in the Great War.  It showed once again its worth last Thursday, as it hosted the national observance of the 100th anniversary of the American entry into the war, in conjunction with the National WWI Centennial Commission.  The blend of words and music from 1917 was an excellent tribute to those who served.  I’d like to think that my great-uncles—one army, one navy in the war—would have been pleased with the tribute.

Although the first big ceremony has come and gone, there is still much to say and remember about the centennial to come.

Here is the Centennial Commission’s summary of the day:  http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/2167-commission-commemorates-centennial-of-us-entry-into-wwi-with-memorable-ceremony-on-april-6th-2017.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

A playback of the ceremony can be seen here:  http://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/sacrifice-about.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Other accounts can be found in the social media of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and the Kansas City Star.

Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.