Show notes
Highlights The US Army Signal Corps in WW1 The founding of the US Army Signal Corps @ |01:30 The Signal Corps in WW1 @ |04:25 War In The Sky - Signal Corps Connections @ |09:00 Alvin York’s crisis of conscience w/ Dr. Edward Lengel @ |13:30 Germany’s starts big push w/ Mike Shuster @ |20:25 Women in the AEF w/ Dr. Susan Zeiger @ |25:15 The Hello Girls w/ Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs @ |32:05 100C/100M in Worcester MA w/ Brian McCarthy @ |40:35 Speaking WW1 - Shody @ |46:15 Social Media Pick w/ Katherine Akey @ |48:15----more---- Opening Welcome to World War 1 centennial News - episode #62 - It’s about WW1 THEN - what was happening 100 years ago this week - and it’s about WW1 NOW - news and updates about the centennial and the commemoration. Today is March 9th, 2018 and our guests for this week include: Dr. Edward Lengel, exploring Alvin York’s crisis of conscience as he entered the military Mike Shuster, from the great war project blog with an update on German war activities in May Dr. Susan Zeiger telling us about the women workers of the American Expeditionary Forces Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs with the story of the Hello Girls Brian McCarthy, sharing the 100 Cities/100 Memorials project in Worcester Massachusetts Katherine Akey with the WW1 commemoration in social media WW1 Centennial News -- a weekly podcast brought to you by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library and the Starr foundation. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Welcome to the show. [MUSIC] Preface This week several stories came up that pointed to US Army Signal Corps. You know.. they’re not just the guys who made the movies and took the pictures… Actually they have a heritage of being “New Tech” gurus - taking initial responsibility for classic ideas, later managed by other organizations including military intelligence, weather forecasting and especially aviation. That because it all started with a visionary guy named Albert James Myer. Myer started as a Medical Officer in Texas before the civil war and ended up a brigadier general with the title of First Chief Signal Officer and a legacy as “The father of the US Army Signal Corps” Early on - Myer came up with a flag waving scheme to send messages during combat - which the Army adopted it in 1860 - one year before the start of the Civil War. It’s high falutin’ name was Aerial Telegraphy but, everyone called it WIG WAG. During the Civil War, WigWag was used on the battlefield to direct artillery fire-- and Myer started to experiment with balloons, electric telegraph and other kinds of new tech. Because he fostered such an innovation culture in the signal corps - ten years late, In 1870 when the US government AKA the congress decided to mandate a National Weather Service - they tasked Myer and the Signal Corps to create it - which he did to great international acclaim. Myer died a decade later in 1880, and his lab “slash” school in Arlington Virginia was ultimately renamed Fort Myer to honor the father of the US Signal Corps. By the turn of the century the US Army Signal Corps had taken on a leadership role not just with visual signalling but also with the telegraph, telephone, cable communications, meteorology, combat photography and had even sprouted an aeronautical and aviation section. Nearly a decade before American Forces engaged the enemy, the wright brothers made test flights of the army’s first airplane built to Signal Corps’ specifications. Tests appropriately performed at Fort Myers. Army aviation stayed with the Signal Corps until May of 1918, when the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps is transformed by President Wilson’s Executive order, into the Army Air Service - the forerunner of the United States Air Force. With that as a setup, let’s jump into our Centennial Time Machine - which the Signal Corps DID NOT develop - and roll back 100 years to learn what the US Army Signal Corps was - during the War that Changed the World! World War One THEN 100 Year Ago This Week [MUSIC TRANSITION] We are back in 1918 and we are going to focus on two of the key things the Signal Corps does during WW1. Communication and Documentation --- and always with an eye on innovation. Because with battles and offensives no longer organize neatly into line-of-sight groups, innovations is required to communicate and coordinate. The field telephone is one of those basic elements… The challenge of wired electric connections between two telephone devices is that you need the wire… which tends to get blown up, trampled, cut, damaged and sometimes tapped into by the enemy in the field. And because, the telephone in 1918 is a point-to-point connection… that means that, in order to re-connect a field telephone from one place to another - you need to physically repatch the connection - a function performed by a telephone operator. The “Hello Girls” who go to France to do that job, are sworn into the US Army Signal Corps as soldiers… yup… but then at the end of the war, they are just let go -- and not given honorable discharges and so don’t qualify for veteran benefits! We have a whole section for you with Dr. Elizabeth Cobbs - the author of the book “The Hello Girls” later in the show...---- OK --- Then there is WIRELESS communication. The Signal corps teams up with private industry to advance radio transmission and reception and create new devices that are smaller, more practical and more capable. Of course the challenge with radio communications is that everyone can receive it… creating a serious security challenge and a great intelligence opportunity - both of which the Signal Corps addresses. So when the United States enters the war in early 1917, its own capacity for radio intelligence is significantly underdeveloped. But, with the help of their British and French allies, and the dedicated work of over 500 men, the Signal Corps’ Radio Section collects huge amounts of radio and other communications traffic to help the American Expeditionary Forces stay one step ahead of their enemy. This area of activity is known as Signt or Signal Intelligence. One battle in which victory is particularly credited to the work of the Radio Section is the Battle of Saint-Mihiel in September 1918, as American operators are able to discover the location of several German command posts, and warn the Army of a German counteroffensive several hours in advance. But not everything signal corps is tech! They also take 600 carrier pigeons to France including a pigeon named Cher Ami (dear friend) who is credited with a stallworth, heroic, wounded delivery of a message credited for saving 194 US Soldiers of the 77th Infantry Division - the famed Lost Battalion. Then there is the Documentation roll of the US Army Signal Corps! According to an article by Audrey Amidon: The Signal Corps pays relatively little attention to photography until July 1917 when they are assigned the responsibility for obtaining photographic coverage of American participation in World War I. That means both moving and still imagery. The purpose is for propaganda, scientific, identification, and military reconnaissance purposes but primarily for the production of a pictorial history of the war. The Photographic Section of the Signal Corps manages to build up quite a large and efficient organization. Beginning with 25 men in August 1917, the Photographic Section attached to the AEF reaches a strength of 92 officers and 498 men by November 1918 They defined a photographic unit as one motion-picture cameraman and one still-picture photographer, plus assistants. So they are capturing stills and motion pictures simultaneously at each location. Each Division (remember from last week is a force of around 40,000 American soldiers) gets a photographic unit. They also hace units that cover headquarters, sea transport, service and supply, red cross and so forth. Between the AEF footage, domestic training documentation and special projects including training films for soldier and pilots, the US Army Signal Corps shoots nearly 1 million feet of movie film to document the war that changed the world! Other links: https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2017/03/16/shooting-world-war-i-the-history-of-the-army-signal-corps-cameramen-1917-1918/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Corps_(United_States_Army) For much deeper learning, if people are interested: https://history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-15-1/CMH_Pub_60-15-1.pdf War in the Sky This week, one hundred years ago, the war in the sky preparations were in full view in the Official Bulletin - The government’s daily war gazette published by George Creel, President Wilson’s propaganda chief. And as we have told you before, the Commission re-publishes each issue of the Official Bulletin on the Centennial of its original publication date - a great primary source of information about WWI you are invited to enjoy at ww1cc.org/bulletin. We selected two articles from this week’s issues that illustrate the Signal Corp’s roll in the War in the Sky - the first article is about seeing the foundation of a new US Aerospace industry forming. [sound effect] Dateline: March 5, 1918 The article headline reads: 10,000 SKILLED MEN NEEDED BY THE AVIATION SECTION The article goes on to read: The US Army Signal Corps has authorized the call for 10,000 machinists, mechanics, and other skilled workers needed by the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps. Even though the strength of that service is already 100 times what it was in April of last year, it is now understood that nearly 98 of every 100 men in the service need to be highly skilled. Airplane work has been wholly new and unfamiliar to American Mechanics. It has been necessary for both officers and men to learn very largely by experience. The article continues with with a comment by War secretary Baker about keeping those planes flying in the field: The great problem now remaining is to secure the thousands of skilled mechanics, engine men, motor repair men, wood and metal workers needed to keep the planes always in perfect condition. This great engineering and mechanical force at the airdomes, flying fields, and repair depots, both here and behind the lines in France, is a vital industrial link in the chain of air supremacy. The next day, an article illustrates the foundation of the modern cartography a technology we now all enjoy casually and daily with applications like Google Maps: [Sound Effect] Dateline: March 5, 1918 The article headline reads: 1,000 Trained Photographers Wanted at Once for Signal Corps Aeroplane -and Ground Duty And the article reads: One thousand men trained in photographic work are needed by the Signal Corps before March 10 As an aside - that is only 5 days after this article publishes - it goes on with: These men are to be instructed at the new school for aerial photography just opened at Rochester, N. Y., preparatory to going overseas. This ground force for America's aerial photography requires three types of men: Laboratory and dark room experts, especially fast news photographers, familiar with developing, printing, enlarging, retouching, and finishing panchromatic photography, men who can take a plate from the airmen and hand over, ten minutes later, a finished enlargement to the staff officers. These men will work in motor lorries as close to the front and staff as possible. Men able to keep the whole delicate equipment in good condition, such as camera and optical constructions plus repairmen, lens experts, cabinet makers, instrument makers, and so forth... Men to fit the finished prints into their proper places in the photographic reproduction of the German front --- to work out the information disclosed, and to keep the whole map a living hour-to-hour story of what the Germans are doing.s Many men not physically fit for line service are eligible for this so-called limited military service, as defective vision corrected by glasses and other minor physical disabilities' are waived. Owing to the shortness of time it is requested that only men fully qualified apply for this service. That is a great closing line, as this article was published on May 5th, and they want 1,000 men by May 10 as the army Signal Corps plays out its role in the War in the Sky one hundred years ago this week! America Emerges: Military Stories from WW1 For the war on the ground, here is this week’s segment of America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI with Dr. Edward Lengel. Ed: This week your story is about one of the best known soldier heroes of WWI - and his very profound crisis of conscience in entering his military service.. Who was he and what is his story? [ED LENGEL] [Thank you Ed. Before we close - I want to ask you something that struck me in hearing this account. When Alvin York asked his Captain and his battalion commander “I wish you would tell me what this war is about,” I know we have no record of that they actually said - but as a historian - how might these military commander have responded? What was the common wisdom and answer to that question at the time?] [Ed, what will you be telling us about next week?] Dr. Edward Lengel is an American military historian, author, and our segment host for America Emerges: Military Stories from WWI. There are links in the podcast notes to Ed’s post and his website as an author. Links:http://www.edwardlengel.com/one-hundred-years-ago-alvin-yorks-decision/ https://www.facebook.com/EdwardLengelAuthor/ http://www.edwardlengel.com/about/ Great War Project Now on to the Great War project with Mike Shuster - former NPR correspondent and curator for the Great War project Blog…. Mike, your post this week is about the pre “spring offensive” actions in Europe - On the front and reaching into Allied capitals - It really feels like there is an undercurrent of desperation - and to me - desperation on all side - is that a theme here? [MIKE POST] Mike Shuster from the Great War Project blog. LINK: http://greatwarproject.org/2018/03/04/germany-now-dominates-on-western-front/ [SOUND EFFECT] The Great War Channel We love that you listen to us - but If you’d like to watch some videos about WW1, go see our friends at the Great War Channel on Youtube. This week’s new videos include: Ludendorff's Window of Opportunity From Caporetto to Cambrai: A Summary Lenin and Trotsky - Their Rise to Power To see their videos by searching for “the great war” on youtube or following the link in the podcast notes! Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatWar World War One NOW OK… time to fast forward -- back to the present with WW1 Centennial News NOW - [SOUND EFFECT] This is the part of the podcast where we explore what is happening NOW to commemorate the centennial of the War that changed the world! Remembering Veterans Women Workers of the AEF This week in remembering veterans and for Women’s History Month - We’re continuing our focus on Women in WW1. We’re joined by Dr. Susan Zeiger (tiger), an author and member of the Commission’s Historical Advisory Board. She is also the Program Director at Primary Source ---- non-profit, advancing global and cultural learning in schools---- She is a professor emeritus of History at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, and the author ofIn Uncle Sam’s Service: Women Workers with the American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1919. Welcome, Dr. Zeiger! [greetings] [The phenomenon you describe in your book -- thousands of women taking on responsibilities usually reserved for men-- seems groundbreaking in many ways. What motivated thousands of American women to volunteer for overseas service during World War I? [What kinds of resistance did women encounter-- at home and on the job-- as they set off to work? ] [goodbyes] Thank you for joining us today. Dr. Susan Zeiger is a member of the Commission’s Historical Advisory Board, the Program Director at Primary Source, professor emeritus of History at Regis College and author. Learn more about h…
Full show notes at the publisher 
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
