Pershing Lecture Series: Morale and Entertainment of the Doughboys - Richard Faulkner

That's entertainment! The U.S. Army got into showbiz – so to speak – for the first time in WWI, in a concerted effort to keep morale up among the troops. Dr. Richard Faulkner explores the varied ways that the army and civilian partners sought to create a wholesome environment to ease draftees' transitions into the military, to keep "idle hands out of the devil's workshop" and of course, to build morale. But out on the front, even unprecedented efforts fell short in bolstering the doughboys' spirits where it mattered most – in combat. Hosted in partnership with the U.S. Command and General Staff College in conjunction with the exhibition Entertaining the Troops. For more information about the National WWI Museum and Memorial visit http://theworldwar.org