Commemorating the Centennial of America’s entry into WWI
~Newport News to host a series of special events~
Newport News, VA, April 25, 2017 – In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry
into the Great War, Newport News will host the following special events, programs, exhibitions, and talks
to commemorate the first global war in history:
May 6 – Many Roads Traveled: America’s Foreign-Born Doughboys – a talk on immigrants in the
American Army in WWI – will be held at 1 p.m. at the Virginia War Museum, 9285 Warwick Blvd.
Virginia National Guard historian and published author, Alexander F. Barnes, will give a talk on
immigrants who served in the U.S. Army’s American Expeditionary Force during the First World War.
Offered as part of the WWI Speaker Series of the Virginia WWI 100th and WWII 75th Anniversary
Commission, in partnership with the Virginia National Guard, this event is free with paid admission to the
museum. Call 757-247-8523 or visit www.warmuseum.org for details.
May 17 – Lee Hall During the Great War: A Lecture by Historian J. Michael Moore will be held at 11:30
a.m. at Lee Hall Mansion, 163 Yorktown Road. This talk, part of the Warwick County Historical
Society’s lecture series, will explore the critical role the community of Lee Hall played during World War
I. As an added treat, attendees will get a sneak peek of Lee Hall Mansion’s new World War I-era
exhibition after the talk. Call 757-888-3371 or visit www.warwickcounty.com for details.
May 20 – Lee Hall During the Great War: An Exhibition will open at 10 a.m. at Lee Hall Mansion, 163
Yorktown Road. The exhibition will become part of the guided tours offered at the historic home every 30
minutes during operating hours. Created in commemoration of the centennial of World War I, highlights
of the exhibit include examples of the social and technological changes that took place between the end of
the Civil War and World War I. Included are historic photographs of the Lee Hall community and nearby
military installations, information on Lee Hall Mansion’s early 20th century history, and examples of
women’s garments dating back to the Civil War and WWI. Call 757-888-3371 or visit www.leehall.org
for details.
May 29 – A Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the Victory Arch, 25th Street and West
Avenue in downtown Newport News. From 10 a.m. to 12 noon, the Virginia WWI and WWII Profiles of
Honor Mobile Museum will be on-site with its scanning equipment, so visitors are encouraged to bring
World War I- and World War II-related photos, letters, and documents to be scanned for inclusion in the
project. The Virginia WWI and WWII Profiles of Honor Tour is 36-foot long museum-on-wheels that
features stories and artifacts from dozens of Virginians who served in World War I and World War II.
Visitors are being asked to bring war-related items to be scanned, preserved and made publicly accessible
in the Library of Virginia’s archives. The tour is part of a statewide commemoration marking the 100 th
anniversary of World War I and the 75th anniversary of World War II. After the ceremony, visit the
Virginia War Museum at 9285 Warwick Blvd. to learn about America’s rich military heritage and receive
$1 off admission. Call 757-247-8523 or visit www.warmuseum.org for details.
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Newport News Tourism Development Office
Fountain Plaza Two 700 Town Center Drive Suite 320 Newport News, VA 23606
757-926-1400 Toll Free 888-493-7386 Fax 757-926-1441 www.newport-news.org
June 17-18 – The Virginia War Museum, in conjunction with the Great War Association, will present
“America Mobilizes 1917” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17-18 at Endview Plantation, 362 Yorktown
Road. A historic encampment will feature members of the Great War Association. Experience life as it
would have been in an American Mobilization Camp in 1917 and 1918. The event will feature guest
speakers, displays, weapons, and demonstrations, plus a “WWI Boot Camp” for children. Admission is
$10 for adults and $5 for children. Additionally, an information table from the Virginia WWI and WWII
Profiles of Honor Tour (not the history mobile itself) will allow visitors to scan their World War I- and
World War II-related photographs, letters, and documents from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 17,
only. Call 757-247-8523 or visit www.warmuseum.org for details.
For those interested in learning more about the role Newport News played in WWI, pick up a copy of our
new “Newport News Port of Embarkation in World War I Guide” at the Newport News Visitor Center,
13560 Jefferson Ave., or at the Virginia War Museum, 9285 Warwick Blvd. To view the brochure online,
click here. Additionally, a sample itinerary, called “Newport News and the World Wars,” designed for
those interested in the role Newport News played in WWI and WWII, can be found on page 24 of the
Newport News Visitor Guide. Contact the Newport News Visitor Center at 757-886-7777 or toll-free at
888-493-7386 for more information.
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Newport News Tourism Development Office
Fountain Plaza Two 700 Town Center Drive Suite 320 Newport News, VA 23606
757-926-1400 Toll Free 888-493-7386 Fax 757-926-1441 www.newport-news.org