Memorializing the Fallen of World War I

Sarah Gallagher (BA History, MA Secondary Education ’13), a native of Grafton, teaches high school in West Virginia. She taught for six years at Ripley High School and began the 2019 school year at Saint Albans High School. Gallagher was one of 18 teachers selected to participate in the prestigious Memorializing the Fallen World War I Teacher Ambassadors program, which included travel to France and Belgium in June 2019 to mark the war’s centennial.

My passion has always been teaching, but my second passion is history.

Before I came to WVU, I did not have a love for reading, but once I started to dive deeper into upper level history courses, my love for reading flourished — I was finally reading material that caught my attention. I had found my niche.

It was in Woodburn Hall as part of the Eberly College that my zeal for history blossomed. Some of my favorite history classes were France from the Renaissance to Napoleon, the history of the USSR and contemporary American foreign relations.

My studies in the Eberly College prepared me for my future; I learned how to find clues to the past in the West Virginia and Regional History Center archives, read historical documents and analyze texts to discover more about the past. The Eberly College not only prepared me to be a historian, but the coursework also prepared me for the classroom as an educator. I discovered my most valuable lesson at WVU: never stop learning.

The College of Education and Human Services sponsored a job fair for those graduating in May. This is where I met a principal from Ripley High School. I was fortunate enough to be hired — WVU had helped me land my dream job!

Over the past six years at Ripley High School, I have taught courses on U.S. and world history, AP Human Geography, and electives on the 1960s, World War II and historic military battles. In the semester-long military battles course, my students and I focused on World War I for a month. This is when I realized I needed to learn more about this “Great War.” The centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles was approaching, and this opportunity could expand my knowledge base beyond measure.

Add to this fact that I live in Nitro, West Virginia, whose motto is “A Living Memorial to World War I.” The town played a vital role: Explosive Plant C produced over 350 tons of gunpowder by the end of the war. There are several wonderful memorials and statues scattered along the city in remembrance of World War I, the men and women who fought and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

It was in my sixth year of teaching that I discovered the Memorializing the Fallen program. I sent in my application, and the rest, as they say, is history. I was selected, along with 17 other teachers, to participate in several months of study about World War I. I was truly humbled to have been chosen as the only teacher from West Virginia.

Each teacher was to pick a fallen soldier from their home state who was buried abroad. I chose Corporal Leroy Ferguson from the 32nd Division. He was from Cabell County and was killed in action about a month prior to the end of the war. Corporal Ferguson is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France, close to where he fell.

As an educator, I hope to be the best example of a lifelong learner to my students. This journey helped me become a sharper historian and, ultimately, a better teacher. Sarah Gallagher

My WVU education prepared me to dive into the past to discover more about Leroy and his life. Using several databases, including the National Archives and the West Virginia Archives in Charleston, I was able to gain information about his service and his life. I was honored and truly touched to be able to deliver a eulogy for Leroy at his grave in France 100 years after his passing. Sadly, his parents were never able to make it to see his grave.

At the end of our field study in Europe, we attended a symposium on the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Versailles palace outside of Paris — what a monumental place to be to remember the peace that was signed on June 28, 1919.

At that symposium, we were privileged to meet Michael Neiberg, who wrote “Dance of the Furies: Europe and the Outbreak of World War I.” We read his book and several other texts during the program to further our study. When the teachers, staff and I participated in webinars and discussions about the readings, it helped bring the war back to life. It was an honor to meet such an accomplished writer, especially after studying his work.

Finally, each teacher was to craft a lesson plan on World War I. My lesson plan focused on trench warfare and its legacy. I hope to shape the future of how this war is taught in the classroom by memorializing fallen heroes, preserving the legacy of the Great War and explaining how 20th century America was shaped by the war. May the lessons and memories of those who served in the Great War never be forgotten.

All students deserve the best education, and programs like this allow for teachers to receive truly meaningful professional development. As an educator, I hope to be the best example of a lifelong learner to my students. This journey helped me become a sharper historian and, ultimately, a better teacher.

The Memorializing the Fallen World War I Teacher Ambassadors program is sponsored by National History Day, the World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Foundation.