A N Z A C Day - Thursday 25 April - Lest We Forget

[chooka]

Please also do remember that for every ANZAC soldier fallen in combat, dozens of asian soldiers also fell, and the lives of these asian soldiers are as precious to their loved ones.

Nobody wins in a war.

Yes very true and everyone a soldier. The 25th of April is Anzac Day, a day to remember the Australia and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC). Having said this every enemy is recognised as a soldier and is paid respect on this day. Primarily it is a day for Australia and New Zealand to pay respects to thier fallen and the fallen of the enemy should not over shadow the day. All due respect to other fallen soldiers.

[DoctorG]

I dusted off the medals and marched in Surfers Paradise today. I do not get to march very often as I am rarely in Australia.

The best thing is that many parents are bringing out youngsters to the services and explaining the significance of the event to them.

A moving experience as always.

[Raybo]

I attended the ANZAC day service at Kanchanaburi in 2011. It was a very somber and respectfull service.

The Honor Guard stood in their uniforms in 96 degree heat for over an hour at attention.

Today to many folks forget about what soldiers, sailors, Marines and Airmen sacrificed so that their countries can stay free.

My hat is off to those who sacrificed!

An old Yank

Chulai 6768

[Deon Cloete]

It's sad to think that in just a few more generations the two World Wars will be nothing but a few pages in the history books as those that were alive between those conflicts, or born as baby-boomers and Gen-X, age, and depart the world. I recall my Dad talking of his forebears that served in the Boer War and thinking that it didn't have much meaning to me at the time. I can see even in my own kids now (in their 20's) that they have no understanding of the huge sacrifices that their Grandparent's generation made in the 1940's. One more generation and perhaps ANZAC Day will just be a public holiday with very little remembrance of those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Lest we Forget, lest we Forget.

There are some wars that are remembered and some wars that are forgotten in Australian history.

There has been a revival of interest in WW1 within Australia and this should continue with the 100 year anniversary approaching.

Many younger Australians are now finding they have now found out they had parents, grandparents, great grandparents who served in WW1 and WW2. It was common for WW1 and WW2 veterans not to talk about their experiences. Many returning World War 1 veterans were told not to talk about it and to get on with their lives. This is one of the reasons why many of their descendants knew little about the wars or their fathers or mothers wartime experiences.

In WW1, from an Australian population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of which over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner. (source; War memorial)

Now, thousands of Australians are making a pilgrimage to partake in the Gallipoli dawn service or just to visit the surrounds. Remembering that Gallipoli was a defeat for British (and ANZAC forces). The real 'action' was to be fought on the Western Front

The Boer War 1899-1902 (or the South African War as it is also known) is Australia's forgotten war. Around 20,00 Australians fought in the Boer War, all volunteers. They joined up primarily in local contingents within their state, with some joining overseas within England or South Africa itself.

The contingents fielded such colourful names as 'NSW Lancers', 'NSW Citizen Bushmen', 'Queensland Imperial Bushmen' '1st NSW Mounted Rifles', 'Tasmanian Mounted Infantry'.

On many war memorials within NSW country Towns you will find a list of those who served in WW1 and WW2, but not the Boer war. The Australian War memorial has incomplete records of exactly how many Australians and their names who served in the Boer War. It is indeed Australia's forgotten war.

My grandfather enlisted in WW1 and spent 3 years primarily on the Western Front. He would never speak about his service or time on the Western Front. In his mid forties, with 4 young children he attempted to enlist in WW2. He was refused.

6 of my ancestors (Great Great Uncle and brothers) went to the Boer War. 5 Brothers and one Uncle the same age as the brothers. The youngest was 16. All 6 returned alive.

Lest we Forget.

I am sure the Aussies want to "forget" the Boer War..........And the Brits too!! (hahaha)

Your post implies that the postings you are quoting are celebrating the wars themselves. The "hahaha" is somewhat insensitive to say the least.

I don't believe any of us that have posted here have in anyway implied that any of these wars should be celebrated. All war is abhorrent to any right thinking person.

ANZAC Day is a day to remember those that died defending their countries and their way of life (regardless of the rights or wrongs of the war/s themselves or the politics that surrounded the conflicts at the time). In fact every ANZAC Day service that I have been to has always referred to the fallen soldiers from both sides of the conflict.

Perhaps you would care to expand on your post so we can better understand your point of view, or at least appreciate the reason for the apparent disrespect.

My apologies , I most surely did not want to disrespect anybody. I am an Ex-Soldier myself and have the utmost respect for any nations fallen Soldiers and have posted on my Facebook early tody a reminder to all that today is ANZAC Day together with a summary of what ANZAC really means. I only referred to the decades long "rivalry" between the Boers and the British in South Africa when the topic of the Boer War gets discussed. My Grandfather was a Brit and my Grandmother a Boer girl.......There were always "humor" involved when the Boer/British war was discussed. For instance....My father have a .303 that fought on the Boer side and when my Grandfather saw that, he immediately gave my father a .303 that fought on the British side. We also always discuss, in good spirit/humor, "Who actually won the war"...........So, My most sincere apology if I did not use the correct wording......It was suppose to be a comment seen in the context as explained above.

[Aussie Paul]

My father was a professional soldier from 1943-1966. Though from the Republic of Ireland, he joined the Brit airforce (RAF) aged 18 in 1943 and flew 31 missions over Germany as a rear gunner in the Lancasters of No 75 New Zealand Squadron, including the infamous Dresden firestorm . At VE day in 1945, he enjoyed a beer with the other 2 survivors of the 300 with whom they did the air navigation and gunnery course. After the war he served in the RAF regiment, the brit airforce equivalent of the Royal Marines, in Burma, Malaya, Palestine, Malaya again (where he met my Aussie mum), Aden Protecorate, UK, Cyprus, resigning finally after serving in Singapore during Konfrontasi with Indonesia. In his later years he looked back and saw many of the things he did as being futile and deplored the loss of life of so many fine young men putting their lives on the line for questionable political or economic reasons. In the 70s he did an at that time rare thing, studying for a university degree in Asian Studies and International Relations (part-time) as a mature age student. He had a keen intellect, a dry sense of humour, and compassion for the underdog. He was an officer and a gentleman. I miss his wise counsel.

It would seem that, like myself, you are very fortunate to have had such a man in your life.

To his memory...

Not a day goes by that I do not think of him.

[CheckInn99]

Thanks to all the TV's who attended the ANZAC Dusk Salute. Moving night. links to the some highlights of the night inside initial clip below - or see the youtube channel Lastnightinbangkok