National WWI Memorial, Washington, D.C. And WWI History Come To U.S. Schools This Fall Through New Technology

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Aug 25, 2021, 13:35 ET

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Doughboy Foundation is bringing the new National WWI Memorial from Washington, D.C. to schools and homes all over America with a new release of the award-winning Augmented Reality App called The WWI Memorial "Virtual Explorer".

The "Virtual Explorer" app brings a walk-around-inside-it digital 3D model of the National WWI Memorial to students and educators utilizing iOS or Android tablets, available in many K-12 schools, or the smartphone already in nearly every pocket.

Students, teachers, or anyone who cannot come to Washington, D.C. can take a virtual field trip to the National WWI Memorial. More than that, the WWI Memorial "Virtual Explorer" App is filled with interactive and experiential WWI history, including:

The Timeline Tower: An interactive, 2-story tall 3D timeline featuring over 50 key events from WWI with images and short narratives organized up and down the tower in time order.

The Sinking of the Lusitania: A video game-style presentation of this crucial event that was instrumental in drawing America into the global WWI conflict.

Vehicles from WWI: Featuring interactive 3D models of breakthrough vehicles that came out of WWI including airplanes, tanks, motorized ambulances and even a 1917 Harley Davidson motorcycle.

How WWI Changed America: More than 50 micro-documentaries (each under 2 minutes) in 9 categories featuring leading WWI historians. Social topics include the effect of WWI on Women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, citizenship, propaganda, and even the 1918 flu pandemic.

The Military History of WWI: A multi-part exploration of how America transformed from a standing army of less than 130,000 to a global military powerhouse with 4.7 million men and women in uniform, and 2 million soldiers deployed overseas in just 18 months – a timeframe comparable to today's Covid experience.

Stories of Service: The tools and means to create research-projects about WWI veterans from the local community or families, which can be submitted INTO the App, resulting in an auto-narrated story and images that are shared nationally.

The WWI Memorial "Virtual Explorer" prototype received a 2021 Communicator Award for "Best Use of Augmented Reality" from the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts. This new release builds and expands on that success.

The innovative WWI Memorial App initiative has received support and funding from Walmart, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities resulting in two companion apps.

The companion WWI Memorial "Visitor Guide" is optimized for use on-site when visiting the WWI Memorial. It is a smaller version intended for easy download at the venue.

The WWI Memorial Apps were produced by the Doughboy Foundation in partnership with two California based companies: TechApplication.com, LLC as creator/producer, and game studio Code Headquarters as the developer.

The Apps can be found by searching on "WWI Memorial" in either app store or by going to www.Doughboy.org/apps

About the new National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Legislation signed by President Obama in 2014 and expanded in 2015 designated Pershing Park, located 2 blocks east of the White House, as a National WWI Memorial. The legislation tasked the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission with creating the Memorial, starting with an international design competition in 2015, and design selection in 2016. The Memorial went through a three-year design refinement and collaboration with the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital Planning Commission, the National Park Service, and others, resulting in the final design approval in 2019. Construction began in December of 2019 and continued through 2020 with all the upheavals of the period including the Pandemic. Completion of Phase 1 construction was marked by a national virtual event called "First Colors" and the Memorial opening to the public on April 16, 2021. The completion of Phase 2, with the installation of the 58', 38-character bronze centerpiece sculpture and dedication of the completed Memorial, is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, 2024.

About the Doughboy Foundation
The Doughboy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia in 2013.

The Foundation's mission is to Keep Faith with the American Doughboy with its programs of: The daily sounding of Taps at the National WWI Memorial; providing access to the Memorial via mobile apps; and organizing signature events to encourage remembrance and enhance learning about WWI.

The Doughboy Foundation has worked with the US WWI Centennial Commission since the Memorial's conception in 2014 to make the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC a reality, including taking the lead on raising the $50M for the project, as well as managing the various stages of competition, design, development, and construction.

About TechApplication.com, LLC
TechApp is a unique technology support service helping to navigate the implication, application, and integration of new technologies into mission, operation, workflow, and culture. Company founder Theo Mayer has been sitting as Chief Technologist for both the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission and the Doughboy Foundation since 2014, with his company providing a wide variety of technology infrastructure and services.

Guided by Mr. Mayer's technology prowess and application experience TechApp successfully delivers unique problem solving and tech "creations" to both government and private sector clients.

About Code Headquarters
Code Headquarters, established by founder Andranik Aslanyan, is a unique game studio based in Burbank, CA. The studio specializes in innovative projects built with the industry leading Epic Game System's Unreal Engine.

Code HQ used its video game developer expertise to realize the vision for the WWI Memorial Apps by integrating leading edge game technology with iOS and Android Augmented Reality capabilities.

Media Contact: Chris Christopher.
Email: [email protected].
Voice: 202-796-2805.

SOURCE The Doughboy Foundation