Latest news with #SignalCorps
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
How D-Day: The Camera Soldier Preserves Important History Using Immersive Tech
Friday marks 81 years since D-Day, the largest naval, air and land operation in history on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France. Now, a new documentary will immerse viewers into the action of that pivotal day. Co-produced by TIME Studios's immersive division and the Emmy-nominated immersive documentary team Targo, D-Day: The Camera Soldier— available on the headset Apple Vision Pro —puts users into footage taken by photographer Richard Taylor, a soldier who filmed the landing on Omaha Beach in northwestern France, which saw the most casualties of all of the five beaches that the Allies targeted. It profiles Taylor's daughter Jennifer Taylor-Rossel, 67, who always struggled to relate to her short-tempered father and only saw her father's D-Day footage after his death. Researching her father's past—and venturing to Normandy from Connecticut—made her feel like she was close to him for once. 'Well, I'm crying,' Taylor-Rossel said after viewing the experience for the first time at TIME's Manhattan office on May 30. She had come armed with his Purple Heart, Silver Star, dog tags, and a folder full of letters he wrote about D-Day and photos from his time at war, even a picture of him eating ice cream in Paris. During the 20-minute immersive experience, she smiled when she saw footage of her trip to Normandy and gasped loudly when she watched her father get shot in the arm. The first thing she said when she took off the headset was, 'I hope we don't get into another war.' The immersive experience comes at a time when there are fewer and fewer D-Day veterans alive to talk about what it was like on that fateful day. Immersive media is one key way to preserve stories of people who lived through D-Day for future generations. Here's a look at the man behind the camera on Omaha Beach and what to expect when you're watching D-Day: The Camera Soldier. Who was Richard Taylor? Richard Taylor was born in Iowa in 1907 and left school at the age of 15 to take an apprenticeship at a photography studio. After working as a photographer in New York for several years, he enlisted, at 35, into the Signal Corps in the U.S. Army, charged with documenting World War II. He covered the Battle of the Bulge, Malmedy massacre, and the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. 'Remember we are essentially reporters,' the manual for Signal Corps members says, 'and the job is to get front line news and action…There is little time when in combat for the niceties of photography. Concentrate on good subjects and good basic camera performance, and telling a coherent story. Then you will have done your job.' In a July 1944, roundup of newsreel footage of D-Day broadcast in U.S. theaters, TIME called Taylor's footage from a landing barge under fire on Omaha Beach 'The finest shot of all.' When Taylor had Jennifer, he was in his early 50s and had been married twice before. He'd often complain about pain in his feet from too many nights sitting in cold water in foxholes throughout the war. He didn't really talk about D-Day, though she remembers the first time she saw a big scar on his arm, and when she asked him what happened, he stated very matter of factly that he got shot on D-Day. It's thought that he got hit with a piece of shrapnel. After he died in 2002, Taylor-Rossel found a box of his letters and paraphernalia from the war, but wasn't sure what to do with the items. A decade later, in 2022, a military history expert named Joey van Meesen contacted her, interested in researching Taylor's life and asked her if she saw the footage he shot on D-Day. When she said she had not, he sent it to her. She went out to meet him in Normandy. Taylor-Rossel describes her father as difficult, remote, and hard to have a relationship with. But 'Normandy was the place where I felt connected with him because I had done all of this research on him.' A product of that research is D-Day: The Camera Soldier. What it's like to experience D-Day: The Camera Soldier The Apple Vision Pro projects D-Day: The Camera Soldier onto a big screen, wherever you are viewing it. Users will hear Taylor's biography as they flip through an album of family photos, literally turning the pages themselves. Then, viewers are plopped down in the middle of Normandy American Cemetery with Joey van Meesen. Taylor-Rossel said she felt tears welling up in her eyes when she was surrounded by the D-Day grave-markers while wearing the headset, 'knowing that my dad was there and survived it, but then you look at all these men that didn't survive it.' There's one foreshadowing letter written by Taylor in cursive that users can pick up with their hands and move closer to their headset, in which he says he's 'anxious' about D-Day and 'if I live through it, it's going to be rather rough.' Then there's a box of objects that viewers can pick up themselves, like his dog tags, a thermos, a rations box, and a photo of Taylor holding his camera. Users will find it hard to get a grip on this replica of the camera he used on D-Day. That's intentional, says director Chloé Rochereuil: 'What struck me the most when I held it in real life was how heavy it was. It's a very big object, it's very hard to use. It made me just realize how incredibly difficult it must have been for him to carry this equipment while documenting a battlefield. And that makes the work even more significant.' The experience zooms in on the faces of soldiers, which are colorized. 'They're all like my son's age,' Taylor-Rossel says, marveling at how young the D-Day soldiers were after viewing the experience. As the barge lands on Omaha Beach, viewers begin to hear a male narrator who is supposed to be Richard Taylor, speaking straight from letters that Taylor wrote to family around the time of D-Day. 'In the next six or seven hours, hell would break loose,' he wrote in one. In another, reflecting on the moment when he got hit in the arm by a piece of shrapnel, he wrote, 'Thank God, I made it to the beach without getting more' and described having a hole in his arm 'large enough to insert an egg.' Rochereuil says she was not trying to do a play-by-play historical reenactment or make a video game. D-Day: The Camera Soldier not only provides a glimpse at what it was like to be on Omaha Beach that day, but it also might appeal to viewers who, like Taylor-Rossel, may have had a hard time getting a loved one who served in World War II to open up about their experience. 'Parents are the closest people to us, but often we don't fully know who they were before we existed—like, what were their dreams? What were their fears?' Rochereuil says. 'Her story touches on something universal, which is a relationship that we can have with one parent.' 'The only way to connect people to history is by making it personal. It's no longer abstract. My hope is that immersive media will make history feel alive and relevant again'
Mint
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Amul's witty take on ‘Operation Sindoor' gets netizens' nod: ‘Send them pakking'
In response to the massacre in Pahalgam, where terrorists killed tourists in cold blood on the basis of "faith," the government sent a strong message by launching Operation Sindoor on May 7 and destroying nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Hours later, New Delhi sent another message as two women officers – Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Quraishi – took the lead, sharing details of the military's precision strikes against the Islamic nation. Soon after the operation, social media was swamped with celebratory messages applauding the Indian armed forces. Now, Amul has shared an ad which has won people's hearts. '#Amul Topical: The India-Pakistan conflict,' the dairy giant wrote on X. The doodle it shared has the words, 'Send them pakking' written on it. It also says, 'Amul proudly Indian.' Quraishi from the Indian Army's Signal Corps and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot, were the two women officers who, alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, briefed the world on Operation Sindoor. In the illustration, the Amul girl is seen saluting the women officers standing proudly at their podiums. An individual wrote, 'Let's do it permanently.' Another called the ad 'Lovely.' A third expressed that they love the brand Amul. A fourth conveyed their reaction through a salute emoji.
The Print
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Pahalgam justice isn't about deaths or strikes. It's in 2 women, 2 uniforms, 2 identities
In a way, this was the most fitting response to what happened in Pahalgam. Terrorists killed innocent people for being Hindu. That was the mindset—that someone's religion makes them a target. And then, days later, the world sees Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh standing side by side, briefing the media on Operation Sindoor. Not making speeches, just doing their job. But even in that, there was something deeply powerful. It was a reminder that India, for all its faults, still holds space for many identities to exist—and lead—together. That moment didn't need to be explained. It simply was. And it stood against everything that hateful ideology believes in. Alongside the name of the operation, what's also drawing attention across India is who was chosen to speak about it. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi from the Indian Army's Signal Corps, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, a helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force, led the official briefing. Both have had long, respected careers in the Armed Forces. But their presence at the forefront of Operation Sindoor was more than just a professional assignment. It was a quiet statement against the ideologies that divide people by identity. And it affirmed the idea that unity isn't just something we say, but something we live. After 26 lives were stolen in Pahalgam, India responded with Operation Sindoor—an operation named not for war, but for memory. The name, almost immediately, became a talking point. And it felt like a thoughtful choice. Sindoor isn't just a symbol of marriage—it carries with it the weight of a life shared, of everyday routines, of futures imagined together. In choosing that name, it was as if the country was saying: this wasn't just about 26 deaths. It was about the people they left behind, and the quiet, invisible ways their lives were torn apart, too. It was a reminder that those killed weren't just 26 individuals—they were sons, husbands, brothers. And when terror takes one person, it shatters many others around them. Naming the operation this way was a recognition that grief doesn't end at the victim—it stays, and it spreads. Qureshi and Singh weren't just answering the terrorists who killed to spread terror and create divide on religious lines. They were also answering the ones within India who, in different ways, keep feeding that same communal divide. It was a reminder that the real fight isn't just across the border—it's also here, in how we choose to see each other. Operation Sindoor, thus, wasn't just a strike across the Line of Control. It was an act of defiance against everything that wants to split this country from the inside. And that's a real victory for the idea of India: countering exclusion with inclusion, and standing united in our fight for justice through a shared sense of belonging. Also read: This India-Pakistan escalation ladder is new and slippery Two women, two identities The fact that two women led the joint briefing wasn't just a matter of representation—it was a strong response to the terrorists themselves. The attackers reportedly spared women and children, telling them to 'go and tell Modi what happened'. That was meant as a threat. But what they probably didn't expect was that it would be women standing at the front, delivering the response. Not just witnessing the violence, but carrying the weight of justice too. It was symbolic, yes—but it also felt deeply personal. A message that women don't just survive the aftermath; they can also shape what comes next. It's easy to talk about justice in numbers—count the dead, count the strikes, count the days. But sometimes, justice is also in the small things that follow. In who gets to speak. In who refuses to be reduced to fear. In the way the country chooses to respond—not just with firepower, but with clarity about who we are, and who we refuse to become. Operation Sindoor was a military response, but it was also something more. A reminder that the answer to hate isn't just defence. Sometimes it's dignity. Sometimes it's just standing still, holding the line, and refusing to give in to the very divisions the attackers wanted to deepen. And in that sense, Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh briefing together said more than any statement could. Two women. Two uniforms. Two identities. Together, they became the image that stayed. And maybe that's the real message that day carried: the most powerful thing we can do in the face of hate and terror is to not become what it wants us to be. Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist, writer, TV news panelist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called 'India This Week by Amana and Khalid'. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
Mint
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Operation Sindoor: Col. Sofiya Qureshi's proud parents hail her contribution, say ‘hope this inspires others'
Operation Sindoor: 'My daughter has done something for the nation', the proud parents of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi hailed their daughter on Wednesday. India's 'Nari Shakti' was veritably on display during a press briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' on Wednesday, as two accomplished woman military officers joined Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in giving details about the precision strikes by the armed forces on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. At the briefing held at the National Media Centre, Misri was flanked by Col Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, presenting a striking image of a combination of India's prowess in military and diplomacy. Colonel Sofiya's mother, Halima Qureshi told reporters, "We are very happy about what our daughter has done for the nation. I hope this inspires others to educate their daughters, so that they can serve the nation." "I felt very proud that my daughter has done something for the nation," said Colonel Qureshi's father Taj Mohammed Qureshi. During the briefing, Qureshi addressed the media in Hindi, explaining the selected terrorist targets destroyed through precision attacks, while Vyomika Singh followed with the same information in English. An officer of the Army's Signal Corps, the 44-year-old Colonel Sofiya Qureshi was one of 11 women officers whose achievements were highlighted by the Supreme Court in its landmark 2020 judgment on gender parity in the Army's top positions. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi holds the distinguished honour of being the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army contingent in a major multinational military exercise. In February and March 2016, when she was a 35-year-old Lieutenant Colonel, she commanded a 40-member Indian Army team during a significant international event. The exercise, known as the Multinational Field Training Exercise (FTX) – Exercise FORCE 18, involved ASEAN Plus countries and was, at the time, the largest ground forces exercise ever held on Indian soil. The exercise focused on critical themes such as 'Humanitarian Mine Action' and 'Peacekeeping Operations', showcasing India's commitment to regional cooperation and peacekeeping efforts. Colonel Qureshi holds a postgraduate degree in Biochemistry. She hails from Vadodara, Gujarat, and comes from a family with a strong military tradition—her grandfather served in the Army, and her father was an Army religious teacher. She joined the Indian Army through the Officers Training Academy in 1999 and is married to Major Tajuddin Qureshi of the Mechanised Infantry.
Arab News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Sudan paramilitary chief admits setbacks, vows to expel army from Khartoum
PORT SUDAN: Sudan's paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, in a rare video address on Friday, acknowledged setbacks in the capital Khartoum but vowed to expel the army from the city again. The war since April 2023 between Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted more than 12 million, according to the United Nations, and pushed millions to the brink of famine. After months of apparent stalemate in Khartoum, the army one week ago broke an almost two-year RSF siege of its Khartoum General Command headquarters. On the same day, the army reported reclaiming its Signal Corps base in Khartoum North, and expelling the RSF from Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum. In his address on Friday, Dagalo — commonly known as Hemeti — acknowledged setbacks in the capital but urged his troops 'not to think of the army entering the General Command or the Signal Corps... or taking control of Al-Jaili or Wad Madani.' Two weeks before its gains in Khartoum the army reclaimed the Al-Jazira state capital Wad Madani, securing a key crossroads just south of the capital. The RSF last week said army statements claiming they had broken the sieges and seized Jaili refinery were rumors intended to sway public opinion. But on Friday, Dagalo promised his fighters that the army 'will not enjoy the General Command for long, nor will they enjoy the Signal Corps.' 'We must think of what we intend to take,' he added. Appearing behind a desk in military fatigues, with a camouflage scarf wrapped around his neck, the RSF leader said 'we expelled them (from Khartoum), and we will expel them again.' Dagalo has remained out of sight for most of the war, with his rare addresses usually delivered via voice message on social media. His troops early in the war conquered much of Khartoum and pushed south. They still control almost all of Sudan's vast western Darfur region. Army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan — Dagalo's former ally before they fell out in a power struggle — on Sunday visited his troops at the General Command, which is near central Khartoum and the airport. His push into RSF-controlled Khartoum North, also known as Bahri, enabled the army's biggest victory since it regained Omdurman, the third district of the capital, around a year ago. According to an army source, who was not authorized to speak to the media, fighting continued Friday for the Kafouri neighborhood in eastern Bahri. This month, the United States sanctioned both Hemeti and Burhan, accusing the former of genocide and the latter of attacking schools, markets and hospitals, as well as using food deprivation as a weapon of war.
