Countdown to the Derby Day Fundraiser: 4 Days

The 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range was recently designated a National WWI Centennial Memorial.

Who has the authority to designate National WWI Centennial Memorials?

The WWI Centennial Commission was established by the World War One Centennial Commission Act, passed by the 112th Congress and signed by the President on January 16, 2013. The WWI Centennial Commission Act gave the Commission, among other things, the authority to designate memorials to the service of members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I

Who serves on the WWI Centennial Commission?

The Centennial Commission is composed of 12 members:

Three members appointed by the Speaker and minority leader of the US House of Representatives, three members appointed by the majority and minority leaders of the US Senate, three members appointed by the President, one member appointed by the executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, one member appointed by the executive director of the American Legion, one member appointed by the president of the Liberty Memorial Association.

The 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program, which named the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range a WWI Centennial Memorial, is sponsored by the US World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library with support from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a WWI Centennial Commission partner.

How did the rifle range earn the designation?

A proposal to the WWI Centennial Commission was created using all of the information from the past seven years found on this website. This includes the Stabilization, History, Fundraising, News, WWI Wall of Honor pages, and the Honor a Brunswick County WWI Veteran program.

How many memorials were designated in the United States?

100 memorials in the United States were designated Official WWI Centennial Memorials. The list may be found here.

How many in North Carolina?

There is only one other memorial designated as an official WWI Centennial Memorial in North Carolina. The North Carolina State University’s Belltower in Raleigh was also designated. The Memorial Tower was built to honor NC State’s alumni who were killed in WWI.

Today, May 1, 2018, a full military ceremony will be held at the Belltower in Raleigh. It includes a 21-gun salute and a flyover of F-15s from the 4th Fighter Wing stationed at Goldsboro’s Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. 1000 blooming poppies, planted by a horticulture science class, will be in planters surrounding the belltower.

“We want to wake up the area with North Carolina’s major event to celebrate the Centennial Commission,” says Hester, a 1953 NC State graduate and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. “We have the nation’s only belltower that is dedicated to students [and alumni] who sacrificed everything in World War I.

“They deserve to be remembered with an event like this.”

The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range will have members attending and plan to share pictures in tomorrow’s post.

Click here for more information about the Derby Day Fundraiser to support the 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range.

Stay tuned…

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