The ANZACS

Emac44 said:

So the spirit of ANZAC still applies to the families of men and women who had been in the service of this country.

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Unfortunately Emac I think that recently the Department of Veterans Affairs have overstepped the boundaries of fair play. My widowed mother answered a phone call the other day from DVA, asking if her husband had smoked cigarettes post WWII. If she answered "yes" her pension would increase, their logic being that the ONLY reason that he would have smoked, was due to post traumatic stress.

My mother is an honest Christian woman, and answered "no". She was understandably shocked and appalled at their tactics.

I don't know what to say about that Graeme but I would be contacting the Veterean's Affairs Minister and giving him what for over the telephone and explaining what occured. My own Mum and Dad had dealing with Veterans Affairs and found them reasonable to deal with. I hope I am wrong in this Graeme. I hope it isn't a new Bullshit agenda from the Rudd Government. And if it is send a complaint to the Liberal Party to get it investigated.

Wild I was working two different Afternoons before ANZAC Day many years ago. And on 2 successive years I ran into 2 vastly different Diggers. One was an Old World War One Digger. He was a bit lost and out of sorts. And he came up to me a bit confused and some what puzzled about what Train he needed to get home on. He was with another group of Veterans and his Local RSL Group and had become seperated from his mates. So me being me I took this Old Digger to one side. Got him seated and got one of the other boys to go get him a drink. I talked to Old WW1 Digger for over 1 hour until his mates showed up and claimed him. What that man had to tell me I was amazed. It was about the time when the TV Series ANZAC had just been released by Channel 9. He said he liked the Series but it was a bit far fetched in places

The second event came about when I saw this man trying to struggle up the steps at Central Railway Station in Brisbane. I was heading off to do another errand and was off duty. And I saw this bloke was a bit very badly winded and what appeared to be in a great deal of pain. So I went over to give him a helping hand to see if he was ok. Turned out he was an Ex 9th Divie Bloke who had been wounded in New Guinea in 1943 by a Japanese Hand Grenade going off near his stomache. He said to me he was in a lot of pain at the moment. and wondered how he could get down to the Platforms to catch his Train. I said to him. Just leave it to me Digger I will see you right. So Called one of the Lads over to get the Station Wheelchair which is kept in the First Aid Room. And you know what he said next Wild. He didn't want to put my mates and I to any trouble. I replied Digger there isn't going to be any Trouble. Just sit yourself in the Chair and I will see you right mate. Which is what occured.

I was always taught to take care of the Diggers mate. Giving time effort and respect doesn't take much in comparison what these men and women gave to us in return Wild

Yes, ANZAC Day. And every year there is controversy. Usually it's over some department store's operating hours or a sporting event occurring on the 'sacred' day. But this year, it's balloons...

I will side with the fact I will be working ANZAC Day. I will take the Diggers home on the Train as usual like I have done every ANZAC Day over the last 7 years. I will not comment on the Ballooning as I gather its not really an Issue Graeme. Sometimes the RSL is wrong about issues. I think this is another time the RSL needs to stop and think, The RSL has to realise that people in this country observe ANZAC Day as they see fit. And the Country can't stop because its ANZAC Day. Police Ambulance Fire Brigade Hosptials Public Transport all the major Infrastructure Employees are still at work despite ANZAC Day. I am not saying ANZAC Day hasn't importance. It certainly does have importance to all Australians. The ballooning issue is not important enough for me to comment

Emac44 said:

The RSL has to realise that people in this country observe ANZAC Day as they see fit. And the Country can't stop because its ANZAC Day.

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Exactly Emac!

Today...

"There's nothing wrong with retreating, after all the Anzacs did"...(quote)

...I am speechless....!

This is brought up every year...

From...Marching against the tide - National - smh.com.au

WORLD War II diggers are resisting an RSL push to have more descendants of veterans join the Anzac Day march.
Many surviving diggers are concerned families could eventually take over the occasion.
Rats of Tobruk Association president Joe Madeley said it destroyed the meaning of Anzac to have children and non-veterans marching in the column.
And Terry McGuire, 82, secretary of the 26th Infantry Brigade Association, slammed the "carnival atmosphere" growing during Anzac Day marches.
"It is a dignified march in memory of the fallen and I feel it is disrespectful to have kids running around cheering," he said.
Norm Stockdale, secretary of the 39th Battalion Association, said too many families joining in would change the nature of the event.
"We restrict it to one family member per veteran but it is in danger of becoming an American style celebratory parade," he said.
He said: "Anzac Day is a solemn occasion. Anzac is all about those who went to war and came back. We march to honour those who didn't come back.
"Many youngsters who join the parade just want to get on TV and wave and
carry on."

At least the Tasmanian RSL Branch has the right idea!...

Tasmanian RSL not pushing Anzac marchers back - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

...Because inevitably, and eventually, there will be no veterans marching...

I understand in some respects but not in others. Your are completly correct Graeme, who will there be to march eventually?

Agreed, pretty much sooner or later it will be almost entirely family members marching with a sprinkling of Iraq, Afghanistan and Timor vets.

If we are to keep the Traditions alive of ANZAC Day we will have to have more family members march on ANZAC Day as the ranks of Returned Service men and women deminish as time passes. I can well understand why some Diggers would be upset seeing more Relatives Marching but the reality is even Old ANZACs themselves aren't immortal just their deeds were in War and Peace. As the stanza in The Band Played Waltzing Maltida says. As each passing year, More old men disappear, Some day no one will march there at all. We as the decendants of the ANZACs can't allow that to happen. Since the first 1916 ANZAC Day in London when some 2000 Aussies and Kiwis soldiers marched until today in 2008 where in every town city and community ANZACs march in Australia and New Zealand. The traditions would die if ANZAC Day does not evolve to the wider community. I well remember during the 1970s the threat to ANZAC Day being made irrelevant because of the protests over the Vietnam War had more public profile than ANZAC Day.

And Graeme I did read the comments by a so called academic Anne Marie Hede from a Victorian University. These academics are more interested in examining the fluff out of their own belly buttons then to say something logical. Its her own fault that she can not under stand why more and more Relatives make the journey both from Australia and New Zealand make the trip to ANZAC Cove. Yes Gallipoli had to be eventually abandoned but this nit wit academic failed to mention these same ANZACs went onto after Gallipoli such places in France Belgium and the Middle East that we also remember and pay homage to the ANZACs. Silly little academic. One day she might actually get a real job instead of making stupid statements to get her name in the newspapers

Gentlemen, enjoy the ANZAC long weekend, and watch your driving Heinz, double demerits are in force!

Emac44 said:

And the Country can't stop because its ANZAC Day. Police Ambulance Fire Brigade Hospitals Public Transport all the major Infrastructure Employees are still at work despite ANZAC Day.

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Very true Emac. I'll be working, but hope to get a peek now and again at the televised Sydney march.

Lone Pine August 6th 1915

Lest we forget...

Indeed..........Lest We Forget

To the boys...

God bless you all.

Indeed

A clipping I came across in the Daily Telegraph printed on ANZAC Day 2008

The clipping reads. IN SAFE HANDS
The clipping was drawn by Warren Brown who is at the moment is in Turkey and Gallipoli

On Anzac Day 25th April 2008. I had time to reflect upon the Sacrifice the Courage and the Mateship that sustained the ANZACs from World War 1 to World War 2 and right through to Korea Malaya Borneo Vietnam and all consquent Wars and PeaceKeeping Duties that the Australian Military has been charged to accomplish. The Men and Women who sailed forth from Australia and New Zealand to offer to their respective Countries to accomplish a duty to Country when the Country has called upon the individuals to do so. Much has been written and discussed about the ANZACs and the Legends of the ANZACs. Movies Books Documentaries News Articles and Accounts varying from a myrid of sources. The above clipping I had posted came from the Daily Telegraph and for an Aussie who was raised in the ANZAC Traditions and spirit of ANZAC the passing on from one generation to another generation of ANZAC says to me that the young of this country has been given the Freeedom that the ANZACs strived for. So the passing on the TORCH of FREEDOM has been passed to the next generation from previous generations.

ANZAC Day means to me. More than just the Spirit of ANZAC. It means a whole generation in my own family who passed on the idealism of Freedom. Freedom to express my ideas and to feel free of fear and tyranny. And this Freedom was paid for me by my own Father my Great Grand Uncle Brother in Laws Cousins and other Relatives who served in the Military of Australia. The idealism of Freedom that came about because of the ANZACs isn't lost on me. I was raised in a Military Family and as such ANZAC Day was a significant part of the year. Traditions became apparent in our family evolved from ANZAC Day. Such as I would drive my Father to Service on ANZAC Day for him to take part in the March. I did that for 15 years and it became tradition in our family for me to do so. But this too was a FREEDOM in itself for me to drive my Father for him to be with his Mates on ANZAC Day and to take part in the March on ANZAC Day.

And watching the March on ANZAC Day in Brisbane on ABC Television I saw many others with the same idealism of Freedom. A FREEDOM paid for by not only those Returned Service men and women who took part in the ANZAC Day March, (And also the 102,000 Australians who didn't return and gave their lives for Australia paid for our Freedom with their courage sacrifice and mateship). But the many relatives family members and children taking part in the March on ANZAC Day marching for those who could not. The Freedom of those who took part in the March today. The Freedom to express THANK YOU to those who sacrificed so much that today we can remember those who gave their all. And its our FREEDOM which was paid for in terrible carnage of War by young lives of men and women from Australia who paid that sacrifice for us to do so. And ANZAC day gives us that opportunity as a Free Nation to pause and say THANK YOU.

And I am sure our New Zealand Cousins across the Tasman also pause and say THANK YOU to their Gallant men and women who sailed from the Shakey Isles to defend Freedom and Liberty as we always have to remember our Kiwi Mates who formed the other half of the ANZAC. Without our New Zealand mates ANZAC Day would lose to much significance. As we say in Aussie. It wouldn't be a show without Punch. And to our New Zealand mates across the Tasman and the sacrifices courage and mateship displayed by the Kiwis in War time and Peace time. I send my thanks to them. You Kiwis are our mates and we don't forget you even on ANZAC Day. So when we say LEST WE FORGET. It also means LEST WE FORGET our mates across the TASMAN in New Zealand.

Today marked the 93rd year since the Landings at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 by Australians and New Zealanders and the bonding of 2 Nations came about by the firey crucibles of War. It has been marked upon and recognised that no other 2 countries as like Australia and New Zealand share a common enduring friendship that has not only endured peace but also WAR. And that bond of kinship and friendship has never broken in 93 years since 1915. What does ANZAC Day mean if anything else the display of Courage Endurance Mateship Sacrifice. Which those words are emblazoned upon the Memorial Stone at Kokoda in Papua New Guinea explains to Aussies and Kiwis what ANZAC Day really means to not just me but fellow Aussies and our mates the Kiwis. ANZAC Day means that THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR TODAY SO WE CAN HAVE OUR TOMORROW. This will always be remembered and hence why we as Aussies and Kiwis pause on 25th April every year to express our heartfelt THANKS to those who went forth and gave their all for both Australia and New Zealand in War and Peace.

LEST WE FORGET

And today on 27th April 2008 at ANZAC Bridge Sydney New South Wales another ANZAC Memorial was unvield and dedicated. A Bronze Statue of an World War 1 New Zealand Soldier. The Kiwi Bronze Statue joins the Aussie Bronze Statue on ANZAC Bridge as the combined dedicated memorial of both Australia and New Zealand Service Men and Women who defended both Australia and New Zealand in the name of Liberty Courage Mateship and Sacrifice. The Kiwi faces to the West and the Aussie faces to the East. But they both symbolize the commitment of Friendship enduring between New Zealand and Australia. During War and Peace

LEST WE FORGET

Well said Emac.