Tag: History
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THE BATTLE OF VERDUN – A CENTURY LATER
As we turn our attention this weekend to the centenary of the signing of the armistice to end World War I, I look back at a visit that Padma, Xander, Joseph and I took this summer to a battlefield in France which proved to be the ultimate test of human endurance. The Battle of Verdun was fought for 303 days from February to December 1916. It was the largest and longest battle of the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies. Estimates vary but range…
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BAALBEK, THE CITY OF THE SUN
While on assignment in Lebanon, I took an afternoon off to vist the ruins of Baalbek, located in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. They are among the world’s most impressive and best-preserved Roman archaeological sites. Once known as Heliopolis, or the “City of the Sun,” Baalbek was a major religious center dedicated to Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus. The sprawling complex features towering columns, massive stone blocks, and ornately carved temples, including the Temple of Bacchus—one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere. The sheer scale and craftsmanship reflect Rome’s imperial power and architectural mastery.…
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AUSSIES IN VIETNAM WAR
“Australia, they fought alongside us in wars including losing over 500 brave Australians in the Vietnam War, which some of us remember.” US Republican Senator John McCain, 2 February 2017. I appreciate that Senator McCain spoke out on behalf of Australia. Some of us might not have known that little fact he delivered in his statement. I was a teenager growing up in rural America during the Vietnam War and remember seeing nightly newscasts of American soldiers dying in Vietnam. I went through the first years of my life always mindful…
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AMERICA FIRST
I was too young to comprehend John F. Kennedy’s inauguration address when it was delivered in 1961. But the words he delivered in that address resonated with me throughout my formative years. ‘Ask not what your country can do for you … ask what you can do for your country.’ They were poignant words of advice from a very wise leader on the day he became President. Those few simple words shaped my life and when the time came for me to serve my country I became a Peace Corps Volunteer.…
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MASSACRE AT MYSTIC
Now that Thanksgiving is over and today is Native American Heritage Day let’s look at what happened after that peaceful gathering in Plymouth in 1621. During my early years of schooling in Wisconsin, I learned of how Native Americans welcomed new immigrants and taught them to plant corn and catch eel and thus survive in the New World. Relations between the Native Americans and the Puritans appeared to be good and the two co-existed. Fast forward a few chapters in my history book and I learned that Native Americans were being…
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ISIS THUGS IN PALMYRA
The ancient desert oasis settlement of Palmyra in the central steppe of Syria has had a special place in my heart. But today, IS thugs are knocking on its doorsteps and if they are true to form, they will destroy the UNESCO World Heritage site. I first travelled to Syria in 1990 for an interview with the International Center of Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). After a three-day interview I was offered the job. But I left without signing a contract. I just wasn’t sure about living in Syria.…
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EXPLORING RUINS OF SYRIA
Every schoolchild has heard of the Sphinx, the Parthenon and the Coliseum but who has heard of Palmyra, Ebla, Ain Dara or even Crak de Chevalier? Syria has never gained the international recognition it deserves for its archaeological wonders and as a result has never benefited from the mighty tourist dollar which has allowed Egypt, Greece and Italy to restore their ancient cities and bring in even more tourists and recognition. Unfortunately Syria has limited funds to restore some of the world’s greatest archaeological sites and when they have attempted restoration…
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THE BRIDGE OVER THE AFRIN
About 70 kilometres northwest of Aleppo, and just a stone’s throw from the Turkish border, a Roman bridge crosses the Afrin River. I came across it one day while a mate and I were trying to find the Greek – and later Roman – city of Cyrrhus. We came to the bridge and stopped the car and said ‘Whoa – can we drive over that?’ It looked solid enough and sure enough it was. In fact for nearly 2000 years it had stood up to continued traffic. I liked to imagine…
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