Briefing Document: Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll

Subject: Review of the Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll project.

Purpose: To provide an overview of the Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll, including its purpose, scope, key themes, and areas for potential contribution.

Sources: https://hotvetsmem.com/txww1hr.html

Honoring Texas' WWI Dead: The primary goal of the Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll is to memorialize the more than 5,000 Texans who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces during World War One (1 April 1917 - 31 Dec 1920). The project was established in 2014.

Quote: "The Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll was established in 2014 and honors the more than 5,000 Texans who served in the armed forces of the United States Of America and who died in support of the war effort at home and at sea and in foreign land, 1 Apr 1917 to 31 Dec 1920."

Remembrances (Rems): The Honor Roll consists of individual "Remembrances (Rems), plaques memorializing the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of these Texans who gave all." These Remembrances act as online memorial pages.

Information Included in Remembrances: The plaques appear to include information such as:

Full Name

Service Number

Induction Date and Location

Date and Place of Birth

Home of Record

Date and Place of Death

Burial Location

Military Unit

Military Rank

Cause of Death & Data Challenges: A significant portion of casualties were due to disease, particularly influenza and pneumonia. Records regarding the exact place of death are often missing or incomplete, and a significant amount of records were destroyed by fire and water.

Quote: "More than one half of our casualties were caused by influenza and pneumonia. Many soldiers died in camps, base hospitals and aboard ships. Here and overseas they 'Died Of Disease'."

Quote: "Unfortunately, many of their government records were destroyed by fire and water."

The default location for deaths overseas when no other information was available is listed as France, though the soldier may have died en route or in another location such as Glasgow, Scotland.

Obituaries and newspaper articles may provide more accurate details.

Ongoing Project & Opportunities for Contribution: The Honor Roll is a work in progress. There are opportunities to contribute by:

Reporting errors or requesting veterans be added to the Honor Roll via email.

Helping locate the final burial cemeteries of 135 veterans currently listed as "Unlocated."

Respectfully using copies of the remembrances is encouraged.

Quote: "If you want to make a request for a veteran that was missed or if you see an error please send via email."

Quote: "There are 135 veterans on this honor roll that their final burial cemetery is not found."

Information included on each remembrance: Internet links to their awards, Find A Grave memorials, individual photos, and Army Burial Records.

Conclusion:

The Texas World War One Gold Star Honor Roll is a valuable project dedicated to preserving the memory of Texans who died during WWI. The project faces challenges due to incomplete and destroyed records but actively seeks contributions from the public to improve its completeness and accuracy. The focus on creating individual "Remembrances" provides a personal and accessible way to learn about the sacrifices made by these individuals.