Western Front Association East Coast Branch to Host Spring Symposium on 7 June

The East Coast Branch of the Western Front Association will host its annual Spring Symposium on 7 June at the Maryland Veterans Museum, 11000 Crain Highway, Newburg, Maryland. 

The Western Front Association was formed in London in 1980 with the purpose of furthering interest in the history of the First World War of 1914-1918. It also aims to perpetuate the memory, courage and comradeship of all those who served, on all sides, across all theatres and fronts, on land, at sea and in the air and at home, during the Great War. Subsequently, an East Coast Branch of the organization was founded in the United States. The Western Front Association is non-political and does not seek to glorify war. For a modest annual subscription, members receive a wide range of benefits including regular, high-quality publications Stand To! and Bulletin six times a year, access to the Stand To! archive, Gun Fire Archive, Military Factsheets and Pension Records database. In particular, belonging to The Western Front Association provides you with the opportunity of meeting like-minded people to learn, share, explore and exchange information and knowledge of the First World War in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Becoming a Member of the WFA has never been easier – visit: www.westernfrontassociation.com.

The $25 conference fee will include museum fees, breakfast treats, drinks, lunch, and snacks throughout the day.  Western Front Association members and students have a discounted rate. For questions, contact [email protected]

Parking on site is free. Access to the museum is included in the program, to include their World War I gallery.  Attendees are welcome to display WW1 artifacts/memorabilia/books. 

The program begins at 0830 with a happy hour to view displays, enjoy coffee and treats, and an ice breaker. Following welcoming remarks (0930) by conference organizer Dr. Dianne Smith, the program is as follows:

Following welcoming remarks (0930) by conference organizer Dr. Dianne Smith, the program is as follows:

0935    Mr. Joseph Johnson, President, Belvoir Military History Club, Fort Belvoir, VA, THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE GREAT WAR.

10:30  Break

10:40   Dr. Dianne Smith, former Assistant Professor of History, USMA, West Point, NY, FIVE STARS IN THE GREAT WAR.

11:20 Break

11:30  Staff of the Maryland Veteran’s Museum, MARYLAND IN WORLD WAR I (followed by a self-guided tour of the museum’s World War I gallery during the lunch period)

12:15  Lunch (included)

1:00 PM Peter Pennington, President, British Officers Club of Washington, DC, THE IMPACT OF SUBMARINE WARFARE ON WESTERN FRONT MILITARY OPERATIONS 

1:50 Break

2:00  Dr. Mark Mandeles, J. de Bloch Group, NAVAL LESSONS OF THE GREAT WAR: THE RIVALRY BEWEEN ADMIRAL WILLIAM SIMS AND SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JOSEPHUS DANIELS

2:50 Break

3:00  Marvin Barrash, author, USS Cyclops, THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEANCE OF THE USS CYCLOPS ON ITS VOYAGE TO BALTIMORE, MARCH 1918

3:50 Break

4:00  Concluding Remarks

The registration form is available on the WFAEC Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/376448568581. Please register by email to [email protected] by copying the registration portion and emailing it to her.  Registration deadline: June 5, 2025. If you miss the deadline but would like to attend, please contact her; walk in attendance is allowed, but if you want lunch, you must wait until everyone else has been served. Payment at the door in cash only.

Separate payment may be made by Venmo or check. For Venmo: please submit payments to the Branch Chair: @Greg-Goodell indicating name and number of attendees. For payment by mail: please make checks payable to “WFA East Coast” and mail payment to: Karl Klusewitz  8820 Walther Blvd. Apt. 2208   Parkville, MD 21234-9045.  Please include the number of registrants and names in Memo on checks.

The mission of the Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriot Park is to recognize and honor all U.S. Military Veterans.  Those who fought on the battlefields and those who served in support of them should be remembered and honored so that future generations never forget the sacrifices these men and women have made. Through their wide range of events, exhibitions, and activities, they provide a space for veterans to use their experiences to educate, inform and inspire the public. The museum is located on Crain Highway (Route 301) just south of LaPlata. Coming from the north, you need to make a U-turn at the light; the museum is just on the right after the turn.

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