Veterans speak at Coliseum WWI event


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Beneath the soaring main arch of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a ceremony commemorating the centennial of the U.S. entry into World War I took place on Thursday, 100 years after the April 6, 1917 congressional declaration of war.

The event was free and open to the public and organized by the California World War I Centennial Task Force, a volunteer-led effort of scholars, historians and citizens dedicated to celebrating the Forgotten Generation of World War I.

“The United States World War I Centennial Commission was created by an act of Congress in 2013 to honor and commemorate our involvement in World War I,” California World War I Centennial Task Force co-director and amateur historian Courtland Jindra said. “Finally, near the end of 2016, we decided to create a completely grassroots organization in the hope that the state would give us their blessing once they saw we were forging ahead. And thus, the  Centennial Task Force was formed.”

The Coliseum served as a fitting site, as it was originally constructed as a World War I memorial and rededicated in 1968 to all 4.7 million Americans who served in the war.

“I wanted desperately to hold the event at the Coliseum,” Jindra said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have built a strong working relationship with the folks at the Coliseum over the last few years, and they graciously agreed to host this event.”

Jindra conceptualized the idea to transport the audience back in time to 100 years ago by creating a narrative of events starting in 1914 and ending with Congress declaring war in 1917.

Following the presentation of colors, performance of the national anthem and introductory remarks by Jindra, the program fulfilled Jindra’s vision — veteran and director-producer Jonathan Flora narrated the history leading up to U.S. involvement in the war, inviting up a diverse cast of presenters to help tell the story.

Representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Legion, Veterans in Film and Television, the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles National Cemetery  and branches of armed forces service all took the podium to read excerpts from such historical sources as Los Angeles Times articles, eyewitness accounts and the Zimmermann Telegram. Actors Michael Broderick and Gay Storm even sported costumes to bring the roles of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Edith Wilson to life.

The ceremony was enlivened by performances from singer-songwriter Annie Boxell and veteran Rudy Gutierrez, who played authentic military taps on the bugle.

Los Angeles National Cemetery Director Thomas Ruck, Belgian Consul General Henri Vantieghem and German Consul General Hans Jorg Neumann were invited to lay the ceremonial wreath in closing.

The Task Force has plans to hold more commemorative events in Southern California throughout 2017 and 2018 as well as to reinvigorate annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrations at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

“For many decades after the Memorial Coliseum was built, it served as the city’s main gathering place for patriotic observances in addition to serving as the greatest stadium in the world,” said LA Memorial Coliseum Commission Chief Administrative Officer Robert Osborne. “Today, the Memorial Coliseum once again serves as a historic site not just for Independence Day, but also for Memorial Day, Veterans Day and other historic observances.”

Jindra credited the volunteers with the success of the event, as their passion and efforts have spurred similar centennial commemoration events to take place in Claremont, San Francisco and a handful of other cities across the nation.

“The event is entirely self-funded, and all our participants in the program have volunteered their time and effort,” Jindra said. “There are only a handful of volunteers in the L.A. area that have put this together, so it is an example of what dedication can accomplish.”