World War I Memorial Foundation President David DeJonge Honored

World War I Memorial Foundation President David DeJonge received the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative from the Marshfield, Mo., Cherry Blossom Festival committee on April 23, 2010, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Marshfield. DeJonge is a photographer whose work chronicled the lives of the world’s final World War I survivors. These photographs were exhibited during the Hubble dinner and at Shook Elementary during the annual Write-On Festival on April 22.

DeJonge is also the spokesman for the war’s last surviving American veteran, 109-year-old Frank Buckles, born in Harrison County, Mo. Buckles is the honorary chairman of the foundation, which seeks re-dedication of the D.C. War Memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War Memorial.

"Receiving the Hubble Award is a wonderful tribute to the efforts put forth not only by me but also others in honoring World War I veterans. I look forward to the completion of a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial in our nation’s capital to fulfill Mr. Buckles’s wish. Since Mr. Buckles is from Missouri and Missouri is also home to the wonderful Liberty Memorial and National World War I Museum this award has special meaning," DeJonge said.

Michigan College Students to Visit Frank Buckles

Four Flint, Mi., college students are planning a trip to visit America's last World War I veteran, Frank Buckles, at his farm in West Virginia. The trip will be a history lesson for the students. Read the Flint Journal article about the trip.

Houston schoolchildren to support restoration and preservation of the DC War Memorial

Creekwood Middle School in Houston, Texas, and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) will host Foundation president David DeJonge and his exhibit of photographs of the world's last survivors of World War I on February 9, 2009. The school has taken on support for the restoration and preservation of the District of Columbia War Memorial as this year's service learning project. The event marks the beginning of a national tour of David DeJonge's photographs. The students will engage in cross-curricular studies of World War I and will sell World War I donor tags to raise money and awareness concerning preservation of the World War I monument. See the following link for more information:

Creekwood Middle School's 2009 Service Learning Project on the World War One Memorial Exhibit