Tag Archives: WWI

NUMBERS OFFER PERSEPCTIVE ON VETERANS DAY IN THE GOLDEN STATE
As we celebrate Veterans Day, the numbers add up to the respect and appreciation our veterans deserve across the nation—and here in California. To sum it up: Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, to commemorate the armistice that began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month (November 11, 1918) to […]

REMINDERS OF THE LABORS ON LABOR DAYS PAST FOR U.S. MILITARY
As we celebrate Labor Day weekend, here’s a bit of background on the holiday, how it came to be, and some events that happened on Labor Days throughout history. In the spring of 1894 – and after several years of growing labor unrest across the nation – workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in […]

TWO PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS WHO RISKED THEIR HIDES FOR FREEDOM
Some 1.8 million brave souls have received Purple Heart Medals in the 246-year history of the American military. On this National Purple Heart Day, count among them a pair of four-legged sergeants who earned two each. Yes, two animals have received Purple Hearts for their wartime wounds: A dog named Sergeant Stubby during World War […]

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY TO CALVET’S HOME LOAN PROGRAM!
As birthdays go, this is a big one: the 100th of the California Department of Veterans Affairs’ Home Loan Program. On May 30, 1921, the California Veterans Farm and Home Loan program was signed into law by Governor William Stephens to assist and reward the state’s military veterans. Beginning with the first loan that closed […]

103 YEARS AGO TODAY, FIRST U.S. TROOPS LAND IN FRANCE AS AMERICANS ENTER WORLD WAR I
The French port of Saint Nazaire, in the Bay of Biscay, was supposed to be among the best-kept secrets of World War I. Why? Because that is where the first 14,000 American infantrymen were to land on June 26, 1917. German submarines had been wreaking havoc in the Atlantic Ocean, and loose lips could turn […]

Belgian WWI photo exhibit on display at CalVet Headquarters
If you’re a World War I buff, you may want to make time to view the photo exhibit on display at CalVet Headquarters through May 1. The exhibit includes photographs and descriptions of the epic and one-of-a-kind story of the Belgian Expeditionary Corps of Armored Cars, a military unit that received a hero’s welcome in […]