‘The War to End All Wars’: Kansas City’s National World War I Museum and Memorial

Do you know why we observe Veterans Day on Nov. 11th instead of a different date? Did you know that Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day?

If you don’t, I’ll save you the research. Armistice Day marked the end of the “Great War,” or what we call World War I. The war officially ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – Nov. 11th.

Instead of occupying a spot on the National Mall in Washington, DC, the National World War I Museum and Memorial is actually located in the heartland of America – Kansas City, Missouri.

The museum was a natural growth from one of the country’s best WWI memorials. The Kansas City WWI Memorial sits across from Union Station, where millions of soldiers boarded trains eventually transporting them to the east coast, where they’d spend weeks on ships traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, to Europe to join allies in the war against Germany and its allies.

Built on a hill, The World War I Memorial – originally named Liberty Memorial – provides a magnificent view of the KC skyline.

Plans for the memorial started soon after the war ended in 1918. In 1919, about $2.5 million was raised over a 10-day period for the memorial. The WWI Memorial itself consists of a spire, Assyrian sphinxes and two halls. The spire is a tower that rises about 220 feet above the base. It has an observation deck at the top. In addition, four guardian spirits watch over the memorial from near the tower’s top. Each guardian is 40 feet tall.

Two Assyrian sphinxes stand on either side of the tower. “Memory” faces east toward France. It shields its eyes from the horror of war. “Future” faces west. It shields its eyes from an uncertain future.

Memory Hall hosts art pieces that depict the Allied nations, as well as tablets recognizing the area soldiers. Exhibit Hall hosts limited run exhibits, as well as other pieces.

At the bottom of the memorial and grounds are wall cravings depicting man’s progress. The four major Allied generals are also honored on the wall.

The World War I Museum joined the memorial full-time in 2006, with thousands of items on display – from weapons and gas masks to flags and dinnerware. All items on display are authentic from the time period.

As you enter the museum’s exhibit area, you cross a glass-bottom bridge with 9,000 poppies in the field, each representing 1,000 men and women who died in battle – for a total of 9 million military members. Anyone who has gone to a grocery store over the years likely has seen veterans groups selling poppies for a small donation. This is how that tradition grew.

Before checking out the displays, watch a short film in the theater. It does a great job in explaining the social, cultural and economic conditions of the time and the acts that led to the start of the war.

Once the first snowball rolled, the avalanche of actions engulfed Europe. The United States managed to stay out the war until 1917. Though, American businesses profited by building most of the bombs, missiles and weapons used in battle.

The museum’s layout is quite interesting. Cannons, bombs, howitzers and vehicles are displayed throughout the gallery.

Uniforms from almost every country participating in the war are on display.

Trench warfare was a major component during this time, with interactive exhibits taking you alongside soldiers trying to fight from them. Thousands of men died from the trenches, when they would collapse. The mud was deep and engulfed men. They could lose boots and clothes in the muck.

The museum has a second theater that sits above a display depicting American soldiers walking across a muddy battle zone. Again, this is an impressive exhibit among impressive exhibits.

One thing I found interesting was that in 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran for his second term as American president with the campaign theme that he kept the United States out of the war. The United States joined the Allies in 1917.

Some interesting figures:

• One – As in one of every three French males died during the war.
• $4 million – That was the Russian debt for financing their portion of the war. Today, you would be talking billions of dollars.

The museum has a large display of nationalist posters encouraging people to support the war effort.

It’s easy to spend half a day at the museum and memorial complex, but plan at least two hours to soak in the experience.

The National World War I Museum and Memorial is a must stop when visiting Kansas City. The area is centrally located to downtown and other attractions, including Union Station, Crown Center Mall and Hallmark.