"Remembrance has to be something that carries on no matter how many years go by."

This week, we speak with Steve Smith, a veteran battlefield guide and author who has dedicated his career to uncovering the personal stories of the Great War. Steve shares the journey of tracing his own great-grandfather’s service, the unique challenges of personalizing tours for families traveling from across the Atlantic, and the enduring power of the Menin Gate ceremony.

In this episode:
- Discover how digital trench maps and original war diaries allow Steve to guide families to a specific field and pinpoint the exact position where their relative served, transforming anonymous history into a deeply personal pilgrimage
- Explore the enduring mystery of the 5th Battalion Norfolk Regiment, a unit that disappeared from sight at Gallipoli in 1915, leading to theories ranging from wartime executions to extraterrestrial abductions
- Hear about the "torch of remembrance" and the next generation, as Steve explains how he engages school groups to ensure that the stories of the fallen continue to resonate a century later

"At the core, the goal is really just to turn records into a form of remembrance, one name at a time."

This week, we speak with Miriam Friedman, who leads the #everynamecounts project at Accenture. In partnership with the Arolsen Archives, Accenture leverages Artificial Intelligence to make Holocaust-era documentation searchable for families and researchers worldwide. Miriam explains how technology acts as a bridge to the past, allowing volunteers to restore the names and stories of individuals who were once treated as mere statistics.

In this episode:
- Discover how AI and human validation work together to process millions of documents from the Arolsen Archives, reducing the burden on manual indexing while keeping the "human pass" essential for dignity
- Understand the shift from physical to digital memorialization, enabling people without local access to a Holocaust museum to engage directly with primary historical sources
- Hear Miriam’s personal connection as a descendant of survivors, and how her work helps others find family documents they never knew existed

"I think anybody who puts on a uniform and goes to fight and defend a country, especially one they've never met, deserves our respect."

This week, we speak with John Bocskay, Director of International Affairs at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK). In today's episode, John details the cemetery’s logistical history, the moving ceremonies held for veterans returning to be buried with their comrades, and the upcoming 75th-anniversary commemorations.

In this episode:
- Discover the unique status of the UNMCK as the only United Nations cemetery in existence, a "quirk of history" resulting from the first and last time the UN fought as a unified combatant in a war
- Learn about the "Wall of Remembrance" and national monuments that honor the 22 sending states, including a special look at the humanitarian legacy of Brigadier General Richard Whitcomb
- Explore the evolving relationship between the cemetery and the city of Busan, from strict residential development limits to the powerful impact the site has on young students who see their own ages reflected on the headstones