What does it mean to be a veteran-new podcast

Up Close: Conversations with modern veterans is a new podcast series – available today – that explores the lives and experiences of Australia’s modern veterans.

The Australian War Memorial and LiSTNR have worked in partnership to develop the six-episode series which explores the lives of our modern veterans as they answer the question: What does it mean to be a veteran?

From enlisting in the Australian Defence Force, to the personal challenges involved in training, conflict and life after the uniform, Up Close takes listeners through the experiences of four veterans: Fred Campbell OAM, former Royal Australian Navy Warrant Officer; Aunty Lorraine Hatton OAM, Quandamooka Elder of the Noonuccal and Ngughi tribes in South-East Queensland and Indigenous Elder for the Australian Army; David Nicolson, former Australian Army Trooper; and Dr Kim Morgan-Short, a former Royal Australian Air Force Reservist who has twice been widowed.

Hosted by Walkley Award-winning journalist Adam Shand, Up Close: Conversations with modern veterans is the fourth podcast series to be released by the Australian War Memorial.

Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said, “Up Close is, as the name suggests, a way for Australians to understand what it means to join and work in the military. They are our veterans’ stories, in their words, up close and personal. The podcast allows us to gain a strong appreciation of the very human aspect of our Australian Defence Force. Listeners will hear, through raw conversations, the real stories, challenges and rewards of military life.

“It has never been more important for Australians to have a variety of ways to connect with our military history, in addition to visiting the Memorial in person. Podcasts enable us to reach and engage with people all over Australia and the world,” Mr Anderson said.

Host Adam Shand said that when producing Up Close he was “deeply interested in hearing the motivations and experiences of these veterans in their own words, as well as to understand the impacts of modern warfare on them and their families.

“It was a privilege to speak with four people who, at one point in their lives, all made a very conscious decision to put themselves in harm’s way to serve their country,” Mr Shand said.

“Each one is an everyday Australian who joined the military for individual reasons and each of them has gone on to do extraordinary things.”

Up Close: Conversations with modern veterans was produced with support from Lockheed Martin Australia. Lockheed Martin Australia continue to show their commitment to honouring Australian service personnel through their support of this podcast.

Up Close premieres today, Monday 31 January 2022 on LiSTNR’s website: https://www.listnr.com/

Episodes will be released weekly on the Memorial website and through all major podcast platforms.