Editing "Lest We Forget"

[[File:lest_we_forget.jpg|thumb|"Lest We Forget"]]
'''"Lest We Forget"''' is the name of a black-and-white photograph featured on the rearmost wall of ''{{RDM|Galactica}}''{{'|s}} [[Pilot ready rooms|ready room]], and on the wall of [[Laura Roslin]]'s office on ''[[Colonial One]]''.

== Display and Distribution ==
The photo was apparently quickly reproduced and displayed during the long pursuit of [[The Fleet (RDM)|the new Fleet]] by [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] forces after the [[Battle of Ragnar Anchorage|Colonial escape from Ragnar Anchorage]]. The image appears in both locations by the time of the episode "[[33]]", suggesting rapid dissemination throughout the Fleet as a symbol of remembrance and resistance.

== Content and Symbolism ==
The photo shows a Colonial soldier on his knees on [[Aerilon]], perhaps injured or stunned, as a city burns from the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon nuclear bombing of the colony]]. Before going out on their missions, some of the crew touch the photo, presumably for good luck or as a form of spiritual remembrance {{TRS|33}}.<ref name="companion46">{{cite book |title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]] |pages=46 |author=David Bassom |publisher=Titan Books |year=2005}}</ref>

[[William Adama]] himself touches the photo as he enters the pilot's ready room following the communication drone incident that kills 13 pilots {{TRS|Act of Contrition}}

== Real-World Inspiration ==
The photograph was directly inspired by the iconic image of firefighters raising the American flag at the [[w:World Trade Center site|World Trade Center site]] in New York City following the terrorist attacks of [[w:September 11, 2001|September 11, 2001]].<ref name="companion46"/> This inspiration reflects the broader influence of 9/11 on the Re-imagined Series, which extensively drew from the emotional and cultural impact of those events to inform its storytelling approach.

The image serves a similar function to the 9/11 firefighter photograph in the real world—providing a single, powerful visual representation of tragedy, loss, and resilience that becomes a cultural touchstone for an entire civilization.

== Production Details ==
=== Creation and Development ===
[[Ronald D. Moore]] explains the origin of this picture:
<blockquote>"There was a [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|scene cut]] from "[[33]]" where we saw Laura being given her copy of the photo along with a card that said it was taken on the roof of the capitol building on Aerilon during the attack. The photo was inspired by the famous shot of the fire-fighters raising the flag at [[Wikipedia:Ground zero#World Trade Center|Ground Zero]] that became iconic. I thought the Colonies would have their own version of this&mdash;a snapshot taken in the moment that becomes a symbol of the day they can never forget and of all they had lost. The photo itself is of a soldier falling to his knees (possibly shot or simply overcome by emotion) as he stands on the rooftop over looking the devastation of his city, while the Colonial flag waves at the edge of frame. The inscription below the photo on Laura's plaque reads, "Lest We Forget" in itself a reference to the inscription on the watch presented to [[Wikipedia:John Wayne|John Wayne's]] character in "[[imdb:tt0041866|She Wore a Yellow Ribbon]]."</blockquote>

=== Behind the Scenes ===
This photo, referred to as the "unknown soldier" photo by the production, features production manager and ''Battlestar'' director [[Wayne Rose]] kneeling on the helicopter pad at the [[Vancouver Film Studios]], where the series was filmed from [[Season 1 (2004-05)|Season 1]] and onward.

== Cross-Series Connections ==
A similar reference to [[September 11, 2001|9/11]] is found with the often-featured [[memorial hallway]], which was also inspired by the makeshift memorials created in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Both the photograph and the memorial hallway demonstrate the series' consistent approach to drawing from real-world tragedy to inform its fictional narrative.

== References ==
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