100 years ago today, at 1:18 p.m., a state of war was officially declared to exist between the United States and the Imperial German government when President Woodrow Wilson signed the war resolution which had passed the Senate on April 4 by a vote of 82 to 6 and the House on the morning of April 6 by a vote of 373 to 50.
The first to volunteer for the war effort as aviators from the Great State of Missouri were Maj. William Robertson and Lt. Frank Robertson. After the war, the Robertson brothers would become the founding members of the Missouri National Guard's 110th Observation Squadron of the 35th Division Aviation on June 23, 1923 in Saint Louis. By February 1951, the wing would be organized as the 131st Fighter Wing and 110th Fighter Squadron, which in October 2010 became the 131st Bomb Wing and 110th Bomb Squadron now headquartered at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
Among the most notable to serve would be Missouri's own Harry S. Truman, who enlisted in the Missouri National Guard's 35th Division first as an enlisted Soldier from 1905-1911, then returning to service as an officer during WWI. 28 years and 6 days after the WWI declaration, Truman would become the 33rd President of the United States. He remained in the Reserves, even during his Presidency, eventually retiring in 1953 at the rank of colonel.
The World War I Museum in Kansas City is marking the Centennial Commemoration of the U.S. Entry into World War I with events all day and are providing live streaming for those who can't make it to their site.
https://www.theworldwar.org/april6#live
#WWI #WW1 #WW1CentennialKC
Date Taken: | 04.06.2017 |
Date Posted: | 04.06.2017 16:39 |
Story ID: | 229445 |
Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MO, MISSOURI, US |
Web Views: | 162 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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