LEONARDTOWN, MD — On November 11, 2024, the bells at St. Clement’s Island Museum and Piney Point Lighthouse Museum will toll to commemorate American lives lost in World War I. At precisely 11 a.m., 21 bells will sound, honoring the 116,516 American servicemen and women who died in the conflict, including 27 natives of St. Mary’s County.
The annual event, “Bells of Peace: A World War I Remembrance,” was established in 2018 by the World War I Centennial Commission to mark the centennial of the conflict’s end. The event is held in partnership with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Each year, communities across the U.S. are encouraged to join in tolling bells at 11 a.m. local time to memorialize the service and sacrifice of American soldiers in World War I.
Designed in consultation with veterans who served in the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the “Bells of Peace” commemoration aims to unite Americans in a shared moment of remembrance. The act of tolling bells 21 times—a tribute drawn from traditional military honors—will occur in churches, schools, town halls, public carillons, and cemeteries nationwide, reflecting on the armistice that halted hostilities on November 11, 1918.
“The tolling of bells is a timeless and solemn reminder of those who served and sacrificed during World War I,” a spokesperson for the St. Mary’s County Museum Division explained. “We honor not only those from St. Mary’s County but all Americans who gave their lives in what was once hoped to be ‘The War to End All Wars.’”
The museum division’s participation underscores the historical and cultural importance of World War I, a global conflict that claimed the lives of over nine million combatants and approximately seven million civilians. Beginning in July 1914, World War I reshaped geopolitics, culture, and military tactics across the globe. The United States joined the Allied forces on April 6, 1917, sending 4.7 million Americans to serve in uniform, with two million deployed overseas. By the war’s end, over 116,000 American troops had perished.
St. Clement’s Island Museum and Piney Point Lighthouse Museum, both operated by St. Mary’s County Government’s Museum Division, serve as local anchors of historical preservation and community engagement. Each year, they provide programs and events that promote awareness of the area’s unique heritage, including this annual WWI remembrance.
For those interested in following museum events, updates are available on Facebook:
- St. Clement’s Island Museum: Facebook.com/SCIMuseum
- Old Jail Museum & Visitor Center: Facebook.com/TheOldJailMuseum
- Piney Point Lighthouse Museum: Facebook.com/1836Light
- Drayden African American Schoolhouse: Facebook.com/DraydenSchool
The “Bells of Peace” remembrance connects St. Mary’s County to a nationwide effort to honor those who served over a century ago, reinforcing a tradition of memorializing America’s veterans and keeping their stories alive for future generations.
