Latest news with #WarMemorial
West Australian
a day ago
- General
- West Australian
Opening of Charles Bean Research Centre aims to help Australians understand experiences of family who served
Matt Keogh's eyes lit up as an Australian War Memorial curator traced his great uncle's final days on a map of the El Alamein battleground. The minister had come to open the memorial's new Charles Bean Research Centre – part of its $550 million redevelopment – and ended up having the experience of thousands of Australians who seek a greater understanding of their family's service. 'I knew that he had fought and died in El Alamein, but to go through the unit diary to understand what they were involved in, in terms of battles … how he'd been involved in stopping Rommel's advance, the units that they were attacking, and how they were defending, and the machine gun fire that was peppering them at night,' Mr Keogh said of curator Stuart Bennington's detective work into his relative George Geoffrey Keogh. 'That's all a great example of the colour and movement, the reality of war that is not immediately apparent just on the service record … and I'll certainly take that back to my family, to my dad, and to be able to give that greater explanation of what happened for my great uncle.' The research centre's opening is a key milestone in the War Memorial's nine-year development project. Director Matt Anderson expects the new, standalone research centre to draw more people to have the same 'remarkable and intensely personal experience' of seeing their family's records. 'This is the place you can actually come to understand,' he told The West in the new research centre. 'It's the place that contains the battalion diaries, it contains the ship's logs, but most importantly, it contains the letters home, the diaries … the real thoughts of our soldiers, our sailors and our aviators, the things that they said to their families that they never told their commanding officers.' More than 3500 people sought this experience over the past three years even while the memorial's research section was housed in a demountable in the middle of the construction site. Mr Anderson said the centre's opening helped fulfil the three-prong vision of founder Charles Bean for the institution to be a memorial, museum and archive that would educate people about the realities of war. The official war correspondent's granddaughter Anne Carroll said Bean would never have expected to see his name on a building, being more concerned for helping others tell their stories. As to the question of fully realising his vision for the War Memorial, 'I would say that as long as it fulfils its function of encouraging people to learn, to learn and discuss and encourage learning, yes (it does),' she said. 'The function of the building and the building (itself) is so welcoming that I think people will come and participate in what he encouraged.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hawaii man, Vietnam veteran honors fallen heroes in Washington, D.C.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — As Memorial Day closes in, a Hawaii man and Vietnam War veteran looks to share a piece of his military past in Washington, D.C. Here's how Memorial Day impacts the city of Honolulu's hours Combat medic veteran Allen 'Doc' Hoe visited the USAA Poppy Wall of Honor, which offers a space of remembrance and reflection to honor the 600,000 service members who lost their lives in service to the country. An American flag traveled with him, but it is not the average American flag. It's the flag he's had since his time in combat, when he lost 18 members of his battalion after they were overrun by a regiment of the North Vietnamese Army in May 1968. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news His son, 1st Lieutenant Infantry Officer, Nainoa K. Hoe, carried the flag with him when he served in Iraq in 2005. 'This flag went to my son and he was carrying it the day he was killed in combat in Mosul, Iraq. I am very proud of this incredible young man,' Doc said. This year, the Poppy Wall of Honor features a special dedication to Nainoa, and Doc will be there to not only honor his legacy but also share his story with visitors from across the country. Officials said Doc's American flag will also be on display for visitors to see through Memorial Day weekend. Check out more news from around Hawaii While in D.C., Doc also spent time visiting the Vietnam War Memorial, where 'he laid down poppy pins for all of his fallen brothers and sisters who were lost in combat in his service career.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Vancouver Sun
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Throne speech makes King Charles III's Canadian visit more than just a royal tour
Crews were at work in downtown Ottawa on Friday morning, touching up the protective coating on bronze statues around the National War Memorial before a whirlwind royal visit gets underway on Monday. King Charles and Queen Camilla will touch down in Canada for their first visit since the coronation more than two years ago. Royal watchers say the trip is a significant one on a number of levels. 'If you would have told me six months, even three months ago, that the King would be opening Canada's Parliament, delivering the throne speech, I wouldn't have believed you,' said Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada. 'But the events of the world and the circumstances sort of made the stars align.' Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal government asked the King to open Parliament, something Queen Elizabeth II did twice before in 1957 and 1977. The speech, which is written by the government and intended to signal its priorities for the legislative session, is typically read by the Governor General as the representative of the monarch. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. This throne speech is meant to send a clear signal beyond Canada's borders. 'Canada has a steadfast defender in our sovereign,' Carney said in a statement the day he announced the visit. 'We're seeing Canada's system of government in action,' said historian and royal commentator Carolyn Harris. 'We're also seeing Canada's distinctive history at a time when (U.S.) President Donald Trump's been threatening to make Canada the 51st state.' Harris pointed out that the King is not visiting as a foreign dignitary or a representative of the United Kingdom, but rather as Canada's head of state. The U.S. trade war has put the King in a 'delicate diplomatic situation,' she said, because he's being advised by multiple prime ministers. 'And in the current political climate, some of these different countries where he is King have different approaches to diplomacy with the United States,' she said. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing his own set of tariff threats from Trump in late February, asked the King to invite the U.S. president to an unprecedented second state visit. Trump made no secret of the fact that he was quite pleased to get the invitation. While the King and the Royal Family are expressly apolitical, Harris said it's common for royal tours to be strongly influenced by the political events of the time — and to be remembered in the context of that history. In 1959, for example, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured factories and mines as a way of showcasing Canada's growing postwar economy. 'We do see some emphasis on what the Canadian government wanted the world to know about Canada,' she said. King Charles and Queen Camilla will kick off the visit with a stop at a farmers market and community event at Lansdowne Park on Monday afternoon before a tree-planting ceremony and more formal events at Rideau Hall. Tuesday's throne speech will begin after a short procession down Wellington Street, which is expected to draw large crowds to the area around Parliament Hill. The King and Queen will be driven in a landau, a horse-drawn carriage driven by a member of the RCMP's musical ride unit. Mounted members and RCMP in the red serge ceremonial uniform will escort the landau, which was built in Quebec and gifted to Canada for royal visits, to the Senate. Once the royal couple arrives at the Senate building, the King will receive full military honours and a 21-gun salute. Onlookers will also be able to see him set to inspect an honour guard and band. Since becoming prime minister, Carney has talked about Canada as being 'a country built on the bedrock of three peoples: Indigenous, French and British,' and the day's events are intended to incorporate elements of all three parts of the country's history. Indigenous leaders have been invited to attend Tuesday's throne speech, and the day's events will include a First Nations drum group, a Metis fiddler and an Inuit elder lighting a ceremonial lamp. The head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Grand Chief Kyra Wilson, will be in attendance and says participating is a powerful symbol. 'First Nations people are the first peoples of this land. We were here since time immemorial,' she said in an interview. 'We just need to ensure that every single day there is a reminder that First Nations are here, and we have Treaties and they need to be honoured and respected.' The speech itself will be written and read in both official languages, and it's likely to get more attention than any throne speech has in years. It's driving somewhat of a revival of the monarchy's status in Canada, and Finch said he's fielding calls from people interested in joining his organization. In 2023, when Charles ascended to the throne, polling firm Leger released a survey that suggested a record 63 per cent of Canadians thought it was time to reconsider Canada's ties to the monarchy. Finch chalks that up to apathy, rather than any real desire to form a republic, but said he believes things have changed since Trump began threatening Canada's sovereignty. 'There was an enormous amount of public pressure, and people saying, 'We want the King to say something,'' he said. The throne speech is 'the biggest act that a monarch is doing in Canada probably since the Queen signed the Constitution back in 1982,' he said. 'It's going to be one of those events that 25, 50, 75 years from now, you will look back at pictures and say, 'That was a pivotal moment in the history of the country.'' — With files from Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Thousands visit USAA Poppy Wall of Honor to remember fallen troops
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — There's another memorial at the National Mall to remind people of the true meaning of Memorial Day. The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor pays tribute to the more than 600,000 U.S. troops who have died in combat since World War I. 'Just beautiful,' said Juvenal Alcocere, of Pompano Beach, Fla., who visited the memorial with his family. The 134-foot-long display sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. One side of the wall allows visitors to learn how many U.S. service personnel died in the conflicts. The other side that brings home the message in a way that never has, due to a wall filled with poppies. 'I think a lot of times we hear numbers and they're very abstract, and it's very hard to comprehend what that actually means,' said an emotional Shelby Ludtke, of Kalamazoo, Mi. 'But to kind of see this, like, overwhelming, shock of red.' The display has been part of the National Mall landscape during the Memorial Day weekend since 2018. 'The guys who we're remembering today are the folks that can't be here,' said Sgt. Major Keith Long, a retired Marine and one of the guides at the display. 'So it's wonderful to get a chance to come out here and remind people what this day is really about.' More than 50,000 have visited the Poppy Wall of Honor since it first went on display. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Edinburgh Reporter
22-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Artisan Real Estate welcomes Caledonian Brewery planning consent
Artisan Real Estate is to progress with the homes-led transformation of the former Caledonian Brewery in Shandon, Edinburgh following planning approval by The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). Councillors at CEC's Development Sub Committee on Wednesday (21 May) unanimously granted consent for Artisan's ambitious proposals to develop the historic brewery site into a sustainable, low-carbon residential neighbourhood delivering 168 new high-quality private and affordable homes. Sitting at the western edge of Edinburgh's city centre, the Caledonian Brewery was the capital's last major brewery prior to the ceasing of operations in 2022. The brewery was founded in 1869 by George Lorimer and Robert Clark and its distinctive range of B-listed Victorian buildings provide an important reminder of the city's once extensive brewing heritage. Welcoming the planning consent, Artisan's Managing Director for Scotland, David Westwater said: 'This is a hugely exciting opportunity to breathe new life into a complex and historically important city centre site, providing a high-quality mix of new homes and affordable housing in line with the Council's policy to help tackle the city's housing emergency. 'Artisan's UK-wide expertise as a regeneration specialist will now deliver a sustainable new residential community in an accessible city centre location that will respect, preserve and enhance the rich history of the Caledonian Brewery. Working closely with our heritage experts, we have unravelled the different layers of history and development which have governed the evolution of the site. This has been a model design approach to a very complex and challenging site bringing together a mix of buildings developed at different stages during the last 150 years. 'From the very start, Artisan placed the preservation of the site's unique heritage right at the heart of our approach, creating a distinctive footprint which both reflects the brewery's historical legacy whilst creating a high-quality and well-connected urban neighbourhood which promises to set new standards for city centre living.' The Caledonian Brewery's unique heritage and character will govern Artisan's development approach. Around one fifth of the homes will be housed in the existing listed buildings which will be preserved and repurposed. Additional development proposals will respect and reflect the original footprint of the brewery – including recreating the skyline of the maltings buildings which was demolished following a fire almost 30 years ago. Most of the listed buildings on the site date from the late 19th to early 20th century and were constructed using distinctive red brick with white brick dressings. The existing brewhouse and maltings were built in 1892 following designs by renowned Edinburgh architect Robert Hamilton Paterson, who also designed the Royal Scots War Memorial in the city's St Giles Cathedral. The brewery currently houses a vast amount of brewing equipment – including what was the last remaining direct fired 'coppers' to be used in the UK, which have been attracting the interest of independent breweries across the world. As part of the redevelopment plans, Artisan intends to 'upcycle' as much of the internal equipment as possible, allowing the Caledonian Brewery's significant technical legacy to continue to play a part in today's global brewing industry. Artisan Real Estate has a strong track record in delivering award-winning sensitive urban regeneration projects. This includes the New Waverley mixed-use development in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town and part of the World Heritage Site, as well as completing the transformation of Glasgow's historic A-Listed Custom House district into a thriving hotel quarter. Mr Westwater added: 'Artisan Real Estate is committed to delivering high quality urban living for everyone in well-connected central areas, bringing interest, investment and life back into the heart of our cities. Building high-quality, sustainable homes in sensitive and unique urban sites such as the brewery site is a lengthy, complex and expensive process – but we are confident that our comprehensive proposals will raise the UK bar for the homes-led regeneration of historically important city centre sites across the UK.' The previous operators of the brewery, Heineken UK, invited bids for the site in 2022. A spokesperson for Heineken UK said: 'The Caledonian Brewery has been an integral part of Edinburgh's brewing history and the local community for more than 150 years. We were keen that the legacy of the brewery was maintained and contributed positively to the local community. 'Having received several bids for the site, we believed that Artisan's plans to deliver a 100% residential scheme delivered the best outcome for the community as well as meeting the Council's ambitions in terms of delivering sustainable housing. We are pleased that the planning consent has now been granted for this exciting city centre neighbourhood to progress which is set to preserve the brewery's legacy for future generations.' Like this: Like Related
