War Memorial Stands Firm on Honoring Charged War Hero

0:00The Australian War Memorial is standing firm on keeping Ben Robert Smith's uniform and gear in its Hall of Valor, even after the former SAS soldier. Got charged with five murders from his time in Afghanistan. This spot honors Victoria Crosswinners, Australia's top bravery award, and Robert Smith earned one back in 2013. Critics say it's a slap to historical truth. The memorial's only plan right now is to tweak the wording on the panel next to the display, which still wrongly says he hasn't faced criminal. Charges. They've updated it before during his lost defamation case, but no talk of moving the exhibit. Senior historians are fired up about this. One called it ludicrous to celebrate a guy a court already deemed a war criminal on civil balance. Another wants it shifted to the Afghanistan gallery to show the real cost of war, urging the place to just tell the truth straight up. Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Kioh says curators and the council handle these calls, and the memorial's job is to spark debate, even on tough stuff.

1:04Past leaders backed Robert Smith hard, but now with charges, the pressure's building. Visitors mostly glance past it, some shocked it's still there, while his story books sit in the gift shop. As this legal fight drags on, expect more heat on whether heroes stay heroes or get re-evaluated. That's the story for today, sending news today, driven by AI. I'm Cory with the story.