Centenaire 1914-18 & 70ème anniversaire du Débarquement et de la Bataille de Normandie - Célébrations dans le Midwest

Last update : Sept 10, 2014

1- The institutions dedicated to military history in the Midwest.

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City (MO)
America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it. Interactive displays, thought-provoking films and eyewitness testimonies help guide visitors through one of the largest collections of WWI artifacts in the world.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene (KS)
The complex includes a Visitor Center, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s boyhood home, the Place of Meditation, the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, in a park like setting. The Eisenhower Library includes 480 manuscript collections ; over 300,000 still photographs ; thousands of hours of motion picture film, audio tapes and discs ; oral history transcripts ; 25,000 books and many other objects.

First Division Museum at Cantigny and Robert R. McCormick Research Center in Wheaton (IL)
Discover the museum. The U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division comes to life within hallowed halls, where exhibits and interactive displays capture the proud history of the “Big Red One.” Prepare to be transported to the trenches of World War I, the beaches of World War II and the jungles of Vietnam. It also features a large collection of soldier uniforms, awards and personal mementos, plus a vast inventory of institutional artifacts such as weapons and vehicles. Outside, explore our iconic tank park featuring 100 years of armor.

Robert R. McCormick Research Center. Consisting of the Military Library, the Military Archives, the McCormick Archives and Research Services, the Research Center is open to all seeking knowledge about the 1st Infantry Division and America’s military heritage.

The Library contains over 10,000 books on military history. These books include secondary works on various battles, campaigns and wars, as well as reference works, rare unit histories and military manuals. Primary sources include the bound battle records of the First Division in World War I and the 1st Infantry Division’s World War II battle records on microfilm. The Library also has a large selection of military history videos and a diverse section of military journals and history magazines.

The Pritzker Military Library and Museum in Chicago (IL)
The Pritzker Military Museum & Library is home to thousands of artifacts, posters, photographs, maps and manuscripts. These exciting collections can be viewed online or by visiting one of the main exhibits featured every year.

Monuments to the Wars

World War I Victory Monument (Chicago).
Created by sculptor Leonard Crunelle, an American artist born in France, the Victory Monument was built to honor the Eighth Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, an African-American unit that served in France during World War I. During the Great War the regiment was reorganized as the 370th U.S. Infantry of the 93rd Division. The names of 137 members of the Eighth Infantry, who lost their lives during the war are inscribed on a bronze panel. The monument was erected in 1927 by the State of Illinois in the Chicago neighborhood known as "Bronzeville" on Martin Luther King Drive and 35th Street.






The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza (Indianapolis)
When construction was started on this memorial in 1926, it was only designed to pay tribute to veterans of WWI. But since then the memorial has been updated to celebrate Hoosier veterans of WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District contains two museums, three parks, and 24 acres of monuments, statues, sculptures, and fountains in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, making the state’s capital second only to Washington D.C. in acreage and number of monuments dedicated to veterans. It is also home to the national and state headquarters of the American Legion.

2- Centenial of The Great War - Events in the Midwest

DID YOU KNOW ? About 1.3 million of the French who fought in World War I were killed, and 3.6 million others were wounded. In all, the war killed an estimated 8.5 million soldiers including 116,000 Americans soldiers and 10 million civilians.

Some of the events include

• Thru April 20, 2014 : "The Road to War" at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City, Mo.

• Thru July 2014 Cincinnati Remembers World War I - A Citywide Series of Community Events.
Please check http://www.cincinnatiopera.org for a complete list of events including exhibitions, music, opera, conferences... or check below for highlights.


• Missouri Over There seeks to investigate the state’s involvement in World War I, and serve as a precursor to the statewide collaborative digitization project, Over There : Missouri and the Great War. The blog will feature regular posts on Missouri World War I history, fascinating World War I collections, and World War I programs hosted throughout the state.

• Feb. 7-16, 2014 : University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s 17th Annual Festival of Films in French. This year’s selection marks the centenary of World War I with Jean Renoir’s highly acclaimed "La Grande Illusion" (1937) featuring unforgettable performances by Jean Gabin and Erich von Stroheim and two other anti-war films, the dadaist short "Entr’acte" (1924) and Abel Gance’s silent classic "J’accuse" (1918), which will be screened with live musical accompaniment, a Festival tradition. Know more.

• Starting in March 2014 : WWI 1914-2014 : Reflecting on the 100th Anniversary of WWI. World War I was a major turning point in world history that brought Europe’s long nineteenth century to a close and ushered in the conflicts of the twentieth century. Beginning in 2014, the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is sponsoring a series of programs—WWI 1914-2014 : Reflecting on the 100th Anniversary of WWI—that examine the many ways that WWI changed Europe’s place in the world.

• March 15- Sept. 14, 2014, On the Brink : A Month That Changed the World
Exhibit at the National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri.
A hungry teenage assassin and a wrong turn forever changed the world. View the special exhibition examining the underground organizations, diplomatic communications and international newspaper reporting of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and its political aftershock.


• March 22-24, 2014 : A Century in the Shadow of the Great War
International Centennial Planning Conference - National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial - Kansas City, Mo. Some 600 military historians and experts from all over the world are expected at the conference.


• April 2014 : Cincinnati Boychoir presents "All Quiet".
A Cincinnati Remembers World War I event.
- Sun., April 6, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, 325 West 8th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
- Sat., April 12, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. at Summit Country Day School Chapel, 2161 Grandin Road, Cincinnati, OH 45208
- Sun., April 13, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 225 Ludlow Street, Hamilton, OH 45011
www.cincinnatiboychoir.org.
While many countries suffered great losses in the First World War, much of the protracted trench warfare took place in France, causing destruction of both the countryside and its population. In memory of all who gave their lives and for those who were children at the time, the Cincinnati Boychoir will sing several great works that would have been heard in France before and after the Great War, including Noël des Enfants by Claude Debussy, Messe cum jubilo by Maurice Duruflé, and Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem.


• Sun., June 1, 2014 at 2:30 p.m., Taft Museum of Art presents
Chamber Music Concert featuring the Music of World War I.
A Cincinnati Remembers World War I event.
Carol Dunenvant and Company play the music of World War I in this program commemorating the beginning of the Great War. This concert will be held in the Taft garden.
 See more at : http://www.cincinnatiopera.org/wwi#sthash.DYt5K5Wk.dpuf

• On July 10 & 12, 2014, Cincinnati Opera will present Silent Night, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. A Cincinnati Remembers World War I event.
Inspired by a true story and based on the 2005 film Joyeux Noël, this new American opera by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell recounts the moving tale of the Christmas truce of 1914, when combatant soldiers on the Western Front declared a brief ceasefire and celebrated the holiday together.
Cincinnati Opera’s production of Silent Night will be presented near the 100th anniversary of the onset of World War I. To commemorate that conflict, which reshaped world politics and ushered in the modern era, the company is collaborating with the city’s leading cultural organizations to present Cincinnati Remembers World War I, a series of programs focused on the World War I era. The series began on Veterans Day 2013 and will continue through July 2014.
 See more at : http://www.cincinnatiopera.org


• July 14,2014 : the commemorations of WWI and the 70th Anniversary of D-Day & the Battle of Normandy will be at the heart of this year’s celebration of the French National Day in Chicago.

• Sunday, August 10 - 9am - 3pm : French Connection Day at Cantigny.
The French theme commemorates an important chapter in the life of Robert R. McCormick, Cantigny’s benefactor. In 1918, at age 37, Colonel McCormick commanded an artillery unit in the Battle of Cantigny in France as a member of the U.S. Army’s First Division. It was America’s first significant victory in World War I. Upon returning to Wheaton, the Colonel renamed his estate after the tiny village in France that he and his fellow soldiers had liberated from German occupation. In his will, McCormick established Cantigny “as a public park and museum for the recreation, instruction and welfare of the people of the State of Illinois.” The 500-acre estate was his gift to the community. French Connection Day will be another opportunity for families to enjoy the Colonel’s extraordinary gift.

• The Great War : Experiences, Representation, Effects
In fall 2014, faculty and students at the University of Illinois will mark the 100th anniversary of the onset of World War I with a unique cross-campus initiative. A series of events in a variety of media will allow members of the university and the larger Champaign-Urbana community to engage in a sustained reflection on the war and its legacies from multiple viewpoints. A “core course” offered by the History Department will promote a global understanding of the Great War for Illinois students, while lectures, exhibitions, readings, films, and a theatrical production will address the war’s ongoing effects and implications. With the exception of affiliated courses, all events will be open to the public.
Some of the events include :
Thu, Aug 28 - La Grande Guerre : French Posters and Photographs from World War I
Thu, Sept. 4, 6:00 pm - Opening Event, The Great War : Experiences, Representation, Effects
Sun, Sept. 14, 7:30 pm - St. Louis Symphony
Complete information : http://www.thegreatwar.illinois.edu/


• Starting Sept. 18, 2014, Film Series : The Great War on Film. University of Notre Dame (IN) - Nanovic Institute. Each screening in the series will have a twenty-minute introductory presentation by a filmmaker or scholar.
- Thursday, September 18 at 7pm, Paths of Glory (1957) directed by Stanley Kubrick
- Thursday, October 2 at 7pm, A Farewell to Arms (1932) directed by Frank Borzage
- Thursday, October 30 at 7pm, The Great War (La grande guerra) (1959) directed by Mario Monicelli
- Thursday, November 20 at 7pm, A Very Long Engagement (2004) directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Friday, December 5 at 6:30 pm, Joyeux Noël (2005) directed by Christian Carion
More information

• September 17, 2014-January 3rd, 2015 : "Anne Morgan’s War : Rebuilding devastated France 1917-1924" at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The exhibition retraces the actions of a group of American women who voluntarily went to France to aid in the reconstruction of the country. Presented by the Newberry and the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt.
The Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt, in Picardy, created the exhibition, which is drawn from their collections. Anne Morgan established the museum, and today it is a French national museum devoted to the history of collaborations between the United States and France.
In the fall of 2014, the Newberry will mark the centennial of the start of World War I with two linked exhibitions and a series of related public programs. Also visit "Chicago, Europe, and the Great War", a companion exhibition featuring material from the Newberry collection, which is installed in the adjacent gallery.
Under the high patronage of French Ambassador, Monsieur François Delattre, "American Women Rebuilding France, 1914-1917" is made possible in part through the support of : The American Friends of Blérancourt, La Délégation des Alliances Françaises USA, The Federation of the Alliances Françaises USA, The Florence Gould Foundation, The French Ministry of Culture and Communication, and RMN l’Agence Photographique de France.

Starting this Fall L’Alliance Française de Chicago commemorates La Grande Guerre de 1914-1918, the war to end all wars, with great musicians, unforgettable poetry, an exhibition featuring our very own archives, a lecture on the "The Great War and the Origins of Humanitarianism"… and much more from its partners.
• Wednesday, October 01, 2014 at 7:00 p.m "1914–2014 : French Chamber Music and Poetry from the War Years"
With John Sharp, principal cello, Chicago Symphony Orchestra ; Liba Shacht, violinist, Lyric Opera of Chicago ; and award-winning pianist Milana Pavchinskaya.
Maurice Ravel hurried to finish his Piano Trio before volunteering as a truck driver in the 13th Artillery Regiment. The poet Apollinaire was a lieutenant and won la Croix de Guerre before dying from war wounds and influenza in 1918. Artists were affected, one way or another, by the chaos of war, and from this chaos was born la modernité…
Join us for a program featuring works by Ravel, Satie, Debussy & Webern, with a reading in French and English of French poets of the period by DePaul University students.
More information.

• Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 6:30 pm - Conference : "The Great War and the Origins of Humanitarianism, 1918-1924" by Bruno Cabanes.
Bruno Cabanes, a historian of twentieth-century Europe, will give an illustrated talk on the aftermath of the Great War, which brought the most troubled peacetime the world had ever seen.
An Exhibition Lecture at the Alliance Française de Chicago, 810 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL.
Bruno Cabanes is the Donald G. & Mary A. Dunn Chair in Modern Military History at the Ohio State University. His publications include La victoire endeuillée : La sortie de guerre des soldats français (1918-1920), which was awarded the 2004 Gustave Chaix d’Est Ange Prize by the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, Paris and shortlisted for the Augustin-Thierry Prize for the Best Book of the Year in 2004.

This program is cosponsored with the Newberry Library and the Alliance Française de Chicago. Free Admission.


• October 14, 2014 - January 2, 2015 - "En Guerre, French Illustrations and World War I" at the University of Chicago Regenstein Library.
With 2014 marking the 100th anniversary of the commencement of World War I, En Guerre : French Illustrators and World War I offers a fresh exploration of the Great War as viewed through French graphic illustration of the period. Drawing on illustrated books, magazines, and prints, it presents a wide range of perspectives essential to a deeper understanding of the war in France : patriotism, nationalism, propaganda, and the soldier’s experience. The mobilization of the French national home front is seen through fashion, music, humor, and children’s literature. Organized by noted historians Neil Harris and Teri J. Edelstein, En Guerre features more than 100 examples of vivid and colorful work of French illustrators and reaffirms the role that art can play in serving and challenging power.
Where : At the Special Collections Research Center Exhibition Gallery, The University of Chicago Library - 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL
Photo/caption : Charlotte Schaller, En guerre ! 1914. On loan from a private collection.


• Thursday October 30th : "The Love of the Homeland, a Controversial Notion” at Pritzker Museum and Library in Chicago- A conference with Marc Crépon, French philosopher and author.

3- 1944-2014 : 70th Anniversary of D-DAY & The Battle of Normandy - Events in the Midwest

DID YOU KNOW ? Every year since the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004, France honors American veterans who fought on French soil during WWII. Throughout the U.S ceremonies are organized to award those veterans with the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction.

In 2013, the French Consulate in Chicago awarded some 100 Legion of Honors medals to Midwest Veterans and organized or co-organized 23 ceremonies.

Some of the events include :

• February 19, 2014 at 7:30 pm : In this celebration of Black History Month, Yvonne Latty will discuss, “We Were There : Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq.” First Division Museum at Cantigny



• May 16, 2014 : "La Nuit des Etoiles". The theme of the 2014 Gala evening of the French-American Chamber of Commerce of Chicago "La Nuit des Etoiles" is the Normandy Region. On this occasion, the FACC will pay a special tribute to American veterans of WWII. Know more.



• May 23, 2014 : This year, the FACC of Michigan is pleased to honor the special ties that bring France and the United States together in the realm of the defense industry.
The FACC will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings as well as recognize the significant contributions made to the war efforts and liberation of France by companies in Detroit and throughout Michigan at large. This evening will also stand as a celebration of our State’s defense industry and its contribution to the local economy, past and present.


2014 Guests of Honor and Main Speakers are :
• Senator Carl Levin, Michigan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services
• Mr. Frederic Lefebvre, Member of the National Assembly of France,
• Brigadier General Bruno Caitucoli, Defense Attaché at the Embassy of France in Washington.
Know more.

• June 6-8 : “Michigan Remembers". In the spirit of engagement and support, the entire Gala proceeds will be donated to the “Michigan Remembers" project, which aims at sending 180 American students from the Lakeshore (Berrien County, MI) High School marching band to participate in the 70th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2014, in France. Know more.


DID YOU KNOW ? Of the 9,387 soldiers resting at the Normandy American Cemetery, 419 are from Michigan

• Through December 2016 : World War II Remembered : Leaders, Battles & Heroes at the The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas
Over the next three years, the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum will present an inclusive commemoration of the pivotal events of World War II. World War II Remembered : Leaders, Battles & Heroes, is a series of exhibits and programs that will run from June 2013 through December 2016 marking the 70th anniversaries of the war. What makes this exhibit stand out from other interpretive WWII exhibits is the focus on personal stories.



• June 1st, 2014 : At 1:45pm at the Glenview Public Library in Glenview, Ill., attend a free commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, hosted by the Alliance Française du North Shore. Featuring remarks by Consul General Graham Paul and special viewing of a documentary produced by the Alliance Française de North Shore featuring testimonies of Jewish survivors from France, Morocco, Belgium, Poland and Germany. For further details, please email m-steinhart@sbcglobal.net.

• June 3-8, 2014 : Twenty-five cadets from Benson JROTC in Omaha will represent the State of Nebraska and march in the official 70th Anniversary D-Day Parade in Sainte-Mère-Eglise in Normandy. Know more.

• June 3-8, 2014 : 180 students from The Lakeshore ’Lancers’ Marching Band (Michigan) on their way to France today to perform during the D-Day Celebrations in Normandy. Watch June 2nd WSBT-TV News program.

• June 5, 2014 : History Alive ! World War II presented by The First Division Museum at Cantigny. Craft projects and games organized for elementary aged kids. They can Dress Like a Soldier and learn about WWII and move through the Big Red One’s exciting past.

• June 6, 2014 : D-DAY 70th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony at the WWII Illinois Veterans Memorial at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois in the presence of François Pellerin, Deputy Consul general of France in Chicago.
The Memorial was constructed to honor the 987,000 men and women from the State of Illinois who served during World War II. 22,000 Illinois citizens gave their lives in pursuit of liberty. The Memorial was officially dedicated on December 4, 2004.

• June 6, 2014 : D-DAY 70th Anniversary Ceremony honoring WWII Veterans at Smith Crossing - Orland Park. The event will also includes a display of WWII military vehicules. Information at 708-326-2300.

• June 7, 2014 : 70th Anniversary of D-Day - Ceremonies at The First Division Museum at Cantigny - Wheaton (IL).
On this occasion, Consul General of France Graham Paul will present the French Legion of Honor to Illinois D-Day Veteran James R. Reid. Mr. Reid landed on June 7, 1944 at Utah Beach.

• June 7-8, 2014 : Rails to Victory - Fox River Trolley Museum’s "RAILS TO VICTORY" WWII Living History Reenactment in South Elgin, IL. Ride special excursion tours which will recreate a variety of scenarios that played out in occupied France during the summer of 1944. More info : http://www.railstovictory.com/]].

• June 17, 2014 : French Legion of Honor presentation ceremony honoring Wisconsin Veteran Joseph Hurst during a ceremony to be held at the French Consulate.

• June 27, 2014 : French Legion of Honor presentation ceremony honoring Illinois Veteran Lawrence Erickson during a ceremony to be held in Evanston.

• July 11, 2014 : French Legion of Honor presentation ceremony honoring Ohio Veteran Charles P. Bartley during a ceremony to be held in Avon Lake, Ohio.

• July 14,2014 : the commemorations of WWI and the 70th Anniversary of D-Day & the Battle of Normandy will be at the heart of this year’s celebration of the French National Day in Chicago.

• August 22-23 : D-Day Conneaut (Ohio), The Largest Annual D-Day Reenactment in the U.S.
Since 1999, this annual recreation of the amphibious Allied landings upon the beaches of Normandy, France, has thrilled thousands of spectators. The event occurs within the beautifully kept grounds of Conneaut Township Park, Conneaut, Ohio, and assembles hundreds of re-enactors from across the United States and Canada. Remarkably, the 250 yard long beach on Lake Erie, and sloping adjacent terrain closely resemble Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.
A French Legion of Honor presentation ceremony will take place during the events honoring Ohio Veteran Raymond Woods.

70th Anniversary of D-DAY : Information for WWII VETERANS & TOURISTS who are planning to attend the the ceremonies in Normandy.

Click here for more information