Remembering: Community Commemoration After Disaster

Abstract

On August 21 2005, Prince Charles led national commemorations in Britain marking the defeat of Japan in World War II 60 years earlier. A series of events on this day and over the previous months highlighted the value and significance of communities remembering the war, not only for the past, but also for the future. Like other forms of mass fatality incidents, including disasters, these events and their marking have become an important part of the history and identity of past and present communities, not only in Britain, but throughout the world. An indication of the function of commemoration both in relation to war and other events is reflected in a comment made that day by the British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram, who stated that these events had encouraged veterans to talk about their wartime experience, some for the first time, and pass on their own family’s story to younger generations giving them the opportunity to keep these memories alive (BBC News, August 21, 2005).