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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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[DATE]
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Local Project Director, Title and Organization
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Presentation Explores Fort Riley during World War I
[Community Name] – [Organization Name] in [Community Name] will host “Fort
Riley and World War I,” a presentation and discussion by Sandra Reddish on [Date]
at [Time] at [Location and Address of Presentation]. Members of the community are
invited to attend the free program. Contact the [Host Organization Name] at
[Phone Number] for more information. The program is made possible by the Kansas
Humanities Council.
[List any details about local event here]
Fort Riley was established in 1853 to protect railroad workers and settlers moving
west. By the 1890s, it functioned as a military school for cavalry and light artillery. But
after the U.S. declared war against Germany in 1917, Fort Riley took on a new role:
the training and deployment of troops. Reddish will discuss the role of Fort Riley
during World War I and how the soldiers influenced changes in our state.
Reddish is a museum technician for the 1st Infantry Division Collection at Fort Riley.
Her research interests include the personal papers of World War I soldiers.
“My interest in the First World War started with a postcard of an American Machine
Gun squad,” shared Reddish. “As I continued over the years reading about the war
and its global impact, it became clear to me that the war became the catalyst for
ushering in the 20th century. The contribution from Kansas was more than just its
men serving in the armed forces, but the growth and increased usage of Fort Riley
and also the awareness of Kansans’ impact on a world wide scale.”
Fort Riley and World War I is part of the Kansas Humanities Council’s Speakers
Bureau features presentations and discussions about Kansas and what it means to be
a Kansan over time and across generations.
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The Kansas Humanities Council conducts and supports community-based humanities
programs, serves as a financial resource through an active grant-making program,
and encourages Kansans to participate in their communities. For more information
about KHC programs contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785/357-0359 or visit
online at www.kansashumanities.org.
For more information about “Fort Riley and World War I” in [Community] contact the
[Host Organization] at [Phone Number] or visit [Website].
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