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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: ANZAC Day
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simontoad
Ship's Amphibian
# 18096
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Posted
Yesterday was ANZAC Day here, and I think probably something similar in other jurisdictions. A bloke I follow on facebook who was going around Australia raising funds for research into PTSD had a beer with a mate on ANZAC Day 2011 and they were wearing their medals from Afghanistan and Iraq. Some biddy came up to tell them they were wearing their Grandad's medals on the wrong side, and that they should show more respect.
This story reflects Australia's obsession with the battles of one generation long dead and another whose last members are even now slipping away. Our tearful telecasts of dawn services from Gallipoli and Villers-Bretoneaux point up the lack of remembrance of more recent battles whose survivors ride next to us on public transport, unheeded.
Military people know this, of course, and Ben Roberts-Smith VC gave a speech yesterday pleading for the employment of veterans and talking up their skills.
I would like to see our televised dawn services start to come from places like Nui Dat in Vietnam, or Urizgan in Afghanistan. We need to start to remember that people fought in those places and are still alive and suffering the consequences.
We have avoided mass Australian casualties in our recent wars. About 40 Australians were killed in Afghanistan in over a decade of fighting. At Villers-Bretoneux 2400 Australians were killed in two days. Our wars have been different in scale, against unevenly matched opponents who adopt tactics which maximise civilian rather than military casualties. But it's still war, and it is still service and these service people are still here.
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Human
Posts: 1571 | From: Romsey, Vic, AU | Registered: May 2014
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Gee D
Shipmate
# 13815
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Posted
Roberts-Smith deserved his VC, but from my very minimal contact with him, I'd prefer the company of others at D-Towers dinner table. Slightly more contact with the father confirms at least those genes have been passed on, if not the height ones. You may think otherwise in relation to one, the other, or both of them. I do know an Anglican priest who served as a chaplain there, and his comments have been very similar, so perhaps one or two of his sermons have remained as a memory.
We had the usual service at our local memorial at 7 yesterday, with medals worn on both sides - presumably those wearing them knew. This year's parade (it's only a couple of hundred metres, but the thought's still there) was led by 2 nurses from the San, dressed with the olf veils, white tunics and red jackets. The address was given by the local Catholic priest, clearly bishop material, and was excellent. His topic was the role of women in war service. A reminder that service is not necessarily limited to those in the very front line. We think that these small local services, suburban or country, are where the real remembrance occurs. What's badly wrong is the sort of service which occurs at a south-western Sydney suburb, where there's a full scale bbq and other jollification thrown in.
[ 26. April 2017, 06:55: Message edited by: Gee D ]
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Not every Anglican in Sydney is Sydney Anglican
Posts: 7028 | From: Warrawee NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 2008
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tessaB
Shipmate
# 8533
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Posted
We have an ANZAC service every year at our church. Mount Felix hospital which was in our town cared for a number of Australian and New Zealand wounded soldiers, some of whom are buried in our churchyard. This may be of interest to people. While we only remember those who died in the world war rather than more recent conflicts, that is because of the history associated with our town. A couple of lovely shots of our church.
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tessaB
eating chocolate to the glory of God
Holiday cottage near Rye
Posts: 1068 | From: U.K. | Registered: Sep 2004
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bib
Shipmate
# 13074
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Posted
Sadly it seems to me that the Anzac service is the only service that many people in Australia now attend. In fact the soldiers have achieved a sort of god like status and are worshipped as such. There is more criticism over disrespect displayed on Anzac Day then on Good Friday. Some Aussies will be outraged at these comments which will be deemed to be disrespectful and unpatriotic. However, I still honour the fallen, but regret the razmatazz that has overtaken a day of remembrance.
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"My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring"
Posts: 1307 | From: Australia | Registered: Oct 2007
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Tessa I didn't have my hearing aids in, so I may have misheard, but was there a reference to Mount Pleasant at the beginning of that clip? If so there is a hillside suburb here in Christchurch, (NZ), that has probably been named after it.
I have often wondered where the name came from. I will do some digging in the library after the kids have gone back to school.
Simontoad, I think the focus on WWI has been stronger here since 2014 as we remember the 100 year anniversaries of different events. I know there was to be a service for the 8 Canterbury and one Australian nurses who were killed when the Marquette was sunk, but I only found out about it accidently.
My own ANZAC day practice includes listening to the Pogues, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda and Lynn Lorkin's The Boys From Rawene.
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
Whoops, sorry The Boys from Rawene is written by Julie Collier
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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tessaB
Shipmate
# 8533
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Tessa I didn't have my hearing aids in, so I may have misheard, but was there a reference to Mount Pleasant at the beginning of that clip? If so there is a hillside suburb here in Christchurch, (NZ), that has probably been named after it.
Huia
The hospital was called Mount Felix, not Mount Pleasant. It is a source of great pride to us that the New Zealand High Commissioner comes to our ANZAC service every year and lays a wreath in our churchyard where some of the soldiers who never made it home are buried. We take looking after them very seriously. The graves are always well tended.
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tessaB
eating chocolate to the glory of God
Holiday cottage near Rye
Posts: 1068 | From: U.K. | Registered: Sep 2004
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simontoad
Ship's Amphibian
# 18096
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Huia:
Whoops, sorry The Boys from Rawene is written by Julie Collier
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Eric Bogle? ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Great songs, the band played... especially so, and at least three great versions, including The Pogues.
I like B.Bragg's version of My Youngest Son Came Home Today, also by Eric Bogle, I think about the Troubles but universal.
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Human
Posts: 1571 | From: Romsey, Vic, AU | Registered: May 2014
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Huia
Shipmate
# 3473
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Posted
![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif) Of course I did know that, but have only heard the Pogues version.
After having just followed a link to Phil Ochs singing The Land of Mississippi I am again reminded of the power music can have, and why folk music has such a strong pull for me, (even if I misattribute it).
Huia
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Charity gives food from the table, Justice gives a place at the table.
Posts: 10382 | From: Te Wai Pounamu | Registered: Oct 2002
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