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Post by smokey on Apr 24, 2015 20:20:32 GMT 10
Just a personal note to members that have served, A big thank you. Tweed heads are doing a landing reanactment prior to dawn service that I'm looking forward to attend with a buddy of mine that served in Rwanda in a medical team. His team had to clean up that terrible and well known refugee massacre. It ruined his life with four failed marriages. And a nasty PTSD. He is beating it though, He is part of Friends 4 Life and heads up support groups for ex serving members with PTSD.
lest we forget
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Post by shayneh2006 on Apr 24, 2015 20:47:54 GMT 10
Yes, its that time of year again, to appreciate what all servicemen and women sacrificed, providing an Australia as we see it today.
A massive thanks.
Shayne
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Anzac Day
Apr 25, 2015 12:08:39 GMT 10
via mobile
Post by Gus65 on Apr 25, 2015 12:08:39 GMT 10
Went with the family to the dawn service and was amongst the biggest crowd I've seen at any local Anzac Day event.
It was good to see heaps of kids and teenagers there also.
My kids now understand that those that went, fought so they don't have to and are grateful for those who have and are serving.
Next year is more important in my opinion because the media won't be driving up attendances.
It's up to the community to remember.
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Post by ozymandias on Apr 25, 2015 12:13:51 GMT 10
I'm not Australian myself but there's a bond of blood between my people and Ozzies that must be honoured.... We fought on the same side in WWI, though not in Gallipoli, and a few years later Australian and NZ troops fought and bled to defend my very home, Crete when the bulk of our army was still in the mainland.
Don't know if you know but all the wounded of the Gallipoli campaign were evacuated to the Greek island of Lemnos where they received further treatment in military hospitals and where many died and were burried
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Post by chrisg on Apr 25, 2015 16:15:39 GMT 10
I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, although as an ex-serviceman I guess I have some right to say it: It's been very, very over-done and taken advantage of this year, the Woollies ad being not the only example or even the worst.
I attended the dawn service as I do most years, for my own very personal reasons. My maternal grandfather was on the Somme and at Passchendaele with the Royal Somerset Rifles, was gassed, blown up, but survived. He left his medals to me as did one of my uncles and I have a couple of my own so I pin them on and go march.
I've always made an exception to do that for Anzac Day, because it is different, it's about the spirit of this country as much as it is about a memorial. There's is not an ex-mil member of my family or amongst my friends who go to any other service, we tired of the hoopla and the rather depressing fact that the main attendees were the rear-echelon types who never heard a gunshot years ago.
But today despite a big turn out there were many veterans whom I spoke with who were a bit disgusted with the commercialisation and really questioning if after 100 years it could not be allowed to slip away.
I don't agree with that but changing the focus to more of a celebration of this country and how it came to be rather than immortalising a damned stupid campaign foisted upon this country and New Zealand by an arrogant empire and particularly a then First Lord of Admiralty, Churchill, who never quite lived down the defeat in his own mind.
Perhaps, over the next four years until we can commemorate a century since the Treaty of Versaillles we could think on how Anzac Day could be rejuvenated. Essentially all the veterans are gone, even those old enough to recall the so-called Great War likewise.
It's not easy to even suggest messing with a tradition but I'm not the only one thinking that perhaps we should.
Cheers
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Deleted Member
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Anzac Day
Apr 25, 2015 23:53:55 GMT 10
via mobile
Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2015 23:53:55 GMT 10
G'day I've marched pretty well since I was really young. As a young bloke it was great to be up before the sun. Most "old folk" didn't want to be active at that time of the morning. But Anzac day it was diferent. The old WW1 vets were there. Old blokes who stood strait and marched strait and tall. And had a beer at the local RSL If you counted them there was only a few. Far fewer than the names on the memorial. Each had a sprig of Rosemary pinned by the metals. The local school had a couple of big bushes that were used. Why Rosemary? This was the scrub that those blokes fought there way through at Gallipoli How much of a reminder would that be to have that seved up with the Sunday roast . My Pop , my granddad, said black and blue, he was a teritorian, and had never served out of Aust. He never marched or was outside on Anzac day. After he died we found out he had been at Milne bay. A very nasty, close to Aust battle we don't seem to talk about. His mates talk about his ability to shoot. He was a "lefty " the lee enfiield "was a right handed weapon. He taught me to shoot. Anyway
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Post by chrisg on Apr 26, 2015 8:23:41 GMT 10
Hey, Yeah I've heard the reason for rosemary before, similar I suppose to the much better known poppies, they really do grow all across the old battlefields. My grandfather used to remark that those fields had a lot of blood fertilising them going back far earlier than WWI, no wonder the flowers were red. Your grandad sounds like a great many veterans that I know, not interested in celebrating something they would rather forget. Humans are strange, I go to the service, not every year but most, to remember my cranky old Grandfather. He used to go to the Remembrance Day March mostly to drink a few beers with his mates, and freely admitted it. Then again in the days before DUI he was pretty much unable to drive anywhere without the trip turning into a pub crawl Cheers
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Post by shayneh2006 on Apr 26, 2015 9:24:31 GMT 10
Great post Cobblerdave and was touched by reading it.
Thanks for sharing that one mate.
Regards, Shayne.
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Post by smokey on Apr 26, 2015 11:33:04 GMT 10
Chris, I can understand that, Was why I made a personal post rather than jump on the band wagon with pictures and stuff. Unfortunatly Anzac Day has become commercial, Or the point Totaly missed. How many times I' hear "Happy ANZAC Day" shows just how far off the mark it's become. ANZAC day actually bums me out, Nothing happy about it at all.
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Post by captaincook on Apr 26, 2015 23:09:19 GMT 10
Anzac Day to me is a day of reflection. I think of a.ll those that went off to protect and serve, knowing that they may make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and fellow man. Those that serve and have served know that they may be called upon to do the same. I also reflect upon the families left at home wondering if their love ones will make it back and how terrifying it must have been for the families of the diggers in WW1 and WW2. My son served up on the border of E Timor twice with the Sigs supporting the SAS I know how I felt every day that he was there. I had the opportunity to march in Canberra on Anzac Day with the apprentice intake that I joined up with 50 years ago, it became to commercial and full of bullshit with people who didn't have a clue making speeches that someone else wrote for them. Basically they were glorifying war and not remembering the true cost, the families left behind , the returned members suffering from what we now call PTSD. so I just caught up with a few mates and we had a quiet beer and a yarn about stuff. Speaking of PTSD you would be surprised at the amount of serving and ex serving members who saw service in recent conflicts that suffer from it. The numbers would astound you. Anzac Day is a day of rememberance and reflection in the morning and the afternoon to catch up with some old mates and a few new ones and have a quiet beer and a yarn, it really is good for the soul and keeps the shrink away. .i served 25 years in the RAAF, my son did 12 years in the army and my daughter in law did 12 years in the navy,both of who saw active service.
captain
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Post by chrisg on Apr 27, 2015 8:48:09 GMT 10
Yes, I agree Phil.
PTSD is indeed a curse, have had my own battles with it over the years.
Cheers
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