Death by Budget Cuts for WWI Museum's Eternal Flame

Headlines

Stars and Stripes | June 11, 2008

The National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo., has announced that its Eternal Flame, which has burned since 1919, may need to be turned off due to budget cuts.

The flame has served as a national symbol to those who served and died in the war.

Museum officials estimate annual costs of maintaining the flame at $45,000.

A Kansas City company called Pioneer Financial Services has offered to match all business and individual contributions to keep the flame burning for the next 12 months, up to a total of $22,500.

Donations can be made at www.SaveTheFlame.org, or on the museum's Web site at www.nwwone.org. Donations can also be mailed directly to the museum at 100 W. 26th St. Kansas City, MO 64108. Checks should be made payable to the "National World War I Museum", with "Save the Flame" on the memo line.

Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.

About Stars and Stripes

This article is provided courtesy of Stars & Stripes, which got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War, and has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, sailors and airmen in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo, and are now on assignment in the Middle East.

Stars and Stripes has one of the widest distribution ranges of any newspaper in the world. Between the Pacific and European editions, Stars & Stripes services over 50 countries where there are bases, posts, service members, ships, or embassies.

Stars & Stripes Website

Stars and Stripes Article Archives
Discussion Boards

What's Hot