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U.S. Army veteran donates historic photo to Canadian Consulate General in Boston
U.S. Army veteran donates historic photo to Canadian Consulate General in Boston
Photo: Major Keogh and Consul General Binns
The First World War was one of the earliest notable instances in which the Canadian and American armies fought together in pursuit of a unified goal.
To commemorate this long-standing relationship between Canada and the United States, retired U.S. Army Major Richard Keogh presented the Canadian Consulate General in Boston with a panoramic photograph entitled “Vimy Camp No. 1, Canadian Veterans of the Great War”, which was taken in 1923 near South Station in Boston.
The Canadian soldiers in the picture are veterans who fought valiantly in the First World War at Vimy Ridge in France to capture a key enemy position. The Major’s father, Corporal Michael Keogh of the Royal Army Medical Corps, is among the group of soldiers in the historic photo which has been in Mr. Keogh’s family since it was taken. After the war, Corporal Michael Keogh moved to Boston and became a member of the Canadian Club of Boston for a number of years.
Major Keogh offered to donate this photo to the Consulate General so that it could be seen by the general public and act as a testament to the strength of the relationship shared by Boston and Canada. The highly decorated war veteran served as an explosive ordinance disposal officer, and was posted in France, Korea and Vietnam as well as several posts in the U.S. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards including the Bronze Star for Valor with 2 oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster. (An oak leaf cluster is placed on awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration.) The Major, accompanied by his sister Elizabeth, presented the photo to the Consul General and mission staff at a small ceremony.
“This thoughtful gift is another example of the great relationship between Canada and our strongest ally, the United States of America,” said Consul General Binns.
The panoramic photograph, which symbolizes the long history of defense and security cooperation between the two nations, will be proudly displayed by the Consulate General in the lobby where it can be appreciated by visitors as well as staff.
