On Nov. 13, personnel at NSA Bahrain hosted a bell ringing ceremony commemorating the 100th year anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I.

The tribute was part of a region-wide series of bell-ringing remembrances, honoring those who served in the war.

The base event, which was held in the chapel, featured guest speaker Cmdr. Amardev Jouhal, operations officer at NSA Bahrain. He discussed the events that led to the U.S. involvement in the war with Germany, including the use of unrestricted submarine warfare.

“In an effort to win the war swiftly, Germany began attacking merchant ships, which carried vital materials to England. Any merchant ships within proximity of the British Isles were attacked without warning,” said Jouhal. “… However, in targeting all ships heading to Britain, German submarines began attacking multiple U.S. vessels traveling to the British Isles, as well as passenger liners.”

“With the unrelenting attacks inflicted on American vessels and killing American Sailors, President Wilson was left with no choice. On April 2, 1917, the man who had recently run for re-election on an anti-war platform decided to ask Congress for a Declaration of War against Germany. Then on April 6, 1917, with an overwhelming vote of 82-6 in the Senate and 373-50 in the House of Representatives in support of President Wilson’s request, the U.S. officially entered World War I,” Jouhal said.

The ceremony also included remarks from Lt. Cmdr. Erich Grawunder, chief staff officer at Task Force Shore Battle Space, who frequently gives historical lectures on and off base.

When asked about his take on the war and ceremony as an American service member and historian, Grawunder said, “There are a lot of takeaways from the First World War as an American service member. World War I was the first time the U.S. was involved in a full conventional European war. Though primarily a land-based war, it was a maritime action, Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare that induced U.S. involvement. Decentralized leadership was more than evident with such heroes as 1st Sgt. Dan Bailey and Cpl. Alvin York making calls at the enlisted level to help defeat the German Imperial Army. A young Brig. Gen. MacArthur would work alongside, at the time, Lt. Col. George S. Patton, to liberate Western France.  Both men would get invaluable training for their upcoming challenges as senior generals during World War II.”

“As a historian, there is a slightly different tone. Warfare became more technological, causing many more casualties the likes the world had never seen before. Governments and empires crumbled causing once mighty nobility to lose power,” said Grawunder.

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