check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar rearview170 Beam Communications SatPhone Shop Topargee products
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> "I digress ..." -> "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Post Info TOPIC: "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Santa


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3804
Date:
"Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Permalink  

Decided this warranted a new thread, so that the only other thread on this site acknowledging Anzac Day does not turn into the usual sh*t fight.

The greeting Happy ANZAC Day is not appropriate, it's not a happy day any more than Good Friday is a happy day.

ANZAC day is a day for reflection and remembrance.

I'm very surprised that on a forum comprised of mainly older Australians so few chose to reply or contribute to the thread in a meaningful and informed manner.

Obviously many of us have forgotten, or, perhaps, never even cared enough to worry about finding out.furious

 

"What does ANZAC stand for?

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as Anzacs, and the pride they took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federated nation for only 13 years, and its government was eager to establish a reputation among the nations of the world. When Britain declared war in August 1914 Australia was automatically placed on the side of the Commonwealth. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.

 

A view looking aft of lifeboat carrying unidentified men of the Australian 1st Divisional Signal Company as they are towed towards Anzac Cove on the day of the landing.

The Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated from the peninsula, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers had died in the campaign. Gallipoli had a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy. What became known as the Anzac legend became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways in which they viewed both their past and their future.

Early commemorations

In 1916 the first Anzac Day commemorations were held on 25 April. The day was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services across Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London more than 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets; a London newspaper headline dubbed them the knights of Gallipoli. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march convoys of cars carried soldiers wounded on Gallipoli and their nurses. For the remaining years of the war Anzac Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.

 

25 April 1916: Australian and New Zealand troops marching down Whitehall London to Westminster Abbey.

During the 1920s Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the more than 60,000 Australians who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time, every state observed some form of public holiday on Anzac Day. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we now associate with the day dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games were firmly established as part of Anzac Day culture.

Later, Anzac Day also served to commemorate the lives of Australians who died in the Second World War, and in subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include those who lost their lives in all the military and peacekeeping operations in which Australia has been involved.

Anzac Day was first commemorated at the Memorial in 1942. At the time, government orders prohibited large public gatherings in case of a Japanese air attack, so it was a small occasion with neither a march nor a memorial service. Since then, Anzac Day has been commemorated at the Memorial every year."

 

 



-- Edited by Santa on Thursday 26th of April 2018 06:49:22 PM

__________________

Cheers,

Santa.

Moonta, Copper Coast, South Aust.
aussie_paul


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 6112
Date:
Permalink  

Thank you Santa. nod.gif

Aussie Paul. smile



__________________
Santa


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3804
Date:
Permalink  

Just felt it needed to be said Paul.



__________________

Cheers,

Santa.

Moonta, Copper Coast, South Aust.
The Belmont Bear


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1896
Date:
Permalink  

Thankyou Santa for your post I think sometimes it is good to remind people what this day is actually for. I started to respond to the previous post but decided against it as I knew that there were those who would take offence at what I wrote. Now I have decided to say it anyhow - yesterday I was impressed by all those particuarly the young people who proudly paid their respects at the many services that were held across Australia, NZ and on the various battlefields scattered around the world. I was not impressed by the drunken loutish behaviour I saw happening in one of our local pubs once the 2up had started. I'm sure most of the young yobbos involved had no idea about the real meaning of Anzac Day other than it was a reason to drink themselves into a stupor and harass others.

Don't get me wrong I am not against anyone playing 2up, having a drink and enjoying themselves as that has been a long held AD tradition but it doesn't give people a licence to behave like idiots when on any other day that type of behaviour would get you ejected from a place.

Cheers

BB



__________________

DavRo

2018 Grand Cherokee Limited - 2022 Concorde 2000
TheHeaths


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1255
Date:
RE:
Permalink  

It certainly is a day for reflection and acknowledgement of the sacrifices of those who have fought in our Armed Forces in conflicts around the World and on home soil.

In this case, however, I am certain it was just an unfortunate choice of word by Aus-Kiwi, rather than any deliberate attempt to cause concern or angst to the memory of Anzac, especially as the day is also so important to those from NZ as well.



__________________

Regards Ian

 

Chaos, mayhem, confusion. Good my job here is done
Desert Dweller


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1840
Date:
RE: "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Permalink  

There's nothing like a good old war celebration & piss up, accompanied with plenty of bull ****, enjoy! It's our heritage. laughing.gif laughing.gif



__________________

Cheers Keith & Judy

Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.

Trip Reports posted on feathersandphotos.com.au Go to Forums then Trip Reports.

 
Des and Jane


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 141
Date:
RE:
Permalink  

Keith, I think your comment was way over the top and out of line.

I don't "celebrate" ANZAC day with a piss up.

I remember the people who were "SENT" by Governments to fight a war that most didn't want to go to, and would never come home from to their families again.

I have members of my family and friends who died on the battlefields. (I will not even go into my Military record.)

And to say it is a celebration and an excuse for a "PISS UP" just wants me want to puke. I have looked at a lot of your contributions to this forum and have liked a lot of them, but this post has lowered my opinion of you to almost Zero.



__________________

Des and Jane

Rockingham W.A.

 
Desert Dweller


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1840
Date:
RE: "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Permalink  

Des and Jane wrote:

 

And to say it is a celebration and an excuse for a "PISS UP" just wants me want to puke. I have looked at a lot of your contributions to this forum and have liked a lot of them, but this post has lowered my opinion of you to almost Zero.

 We're devastated. laughing.gif laughing.gif

Learn to lighten up a little. Our post wasn't disrespectful to our fallen whatsoever.



__________________

Cheers Keith & Judy

Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.

Trip Reports posted on feathersandphotos.com.au Go to Forums then Trip Reports.

 
KevinC


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 266
Date:
RE:
Permalink  

I was talking to a Vietnam vet just before Anzac Day. He was a bit thoughtful, reflecting on his experiences and commenting on some of our world leaders. His comment that struck me most, concerning the sacrifice of so much life was, "maybe Lest We Forget should be replaced by We've Obviously Forgotten." I don't think he was being overly cynical, just wondering when, if ever, the governments around the world would stop picking fights which would sooner or later cost more human lives. And no, I'm not trying to stir, just passing on the thoughts of someone who will never forget.



__________________
Eaglemax


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1477
Date:
Permalink  

I have my own ways to honour my fallen Australians

All the attachments are in the Australian war museum as requested by the late Bruce Ruxton (Vic RSL president  dec)



Attachments
JACKs boots.docx (13.4 kb)
LUCKY LIVES.docx (13.4 kb)
DIGGERS DAY.docx (12.9 kb)
__________________

Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him... 
Mike Harding


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4706
Date:
RE: "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Permalink  

I agree Santa.

The guilty poster often opens his mouth without thinking.



__________________

 

"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"

Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Cloak


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1149
Date:
RE:
Permalink  

Lest we forget.



__________________

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.

- Jimi Hendrix
IAN zzz


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 51
Date:
Permalink  

Thanks for taking the time to post Santa. I just read your complete post. Certainly something we should reflect upon. Stay safe



__________________

Ian Mac

Falcon Wagon 2002  (somewhat modified) ... ... ... Just commenced new build from scratch - 18 foot - totally off grid ... COMPLETED !!!  Launch date - soon :) aka "shed on wheels"

Every day above ground is a good one
The Belmont Bear


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1896
Date:
RE: "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Permalink  

My wife and I were in Canberra last Thursday and looking for something to do so we decided to spend a few hours at the Australian War Memorial - the last time we visited it was back when Bob Hawke was the PM. They have really done a great job with the recent renovations and improvements especially the WW1 wing I think Charles Bean's dream in 1916 has been well and truly realised. They told us when we entered that there would be over 900 school children visiting that day which apparently is a pretty normal thing.

The memorial was not built to glorify war or boast of victories but as a place to pay respect and remember the sacrifices made by Australians who believed that they were defending our freedom and way of life - that was Charles Bean's vision.

Lest We Forget

BB



__________________

DavRo

2018 Grand Cherokee Limited - 2022 Concorde 2000
Mike Harding


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4706
Date:
Permalink  

The Belmont Bear wrote:

My wife and I were in Canberra last Thursday and looking for something to do so we decided to spend a few hours at the Australian War Memorial

The last time I visited it, around 15 years ago, I came out in tears and was glad to be so affected.

It is well worth a visit *especially* for people under, say, 50 who have no concept of war.



__________________

 

"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"

Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Ron-D


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1378
Date:
Permalink  

World War One effected me the most thousands ordered onto mass machine gun fire to be slaughtered continuosely for years on end ....



__________________
Mike Harding


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4706
Date:
Permalink  

Ron-D wrote:

World War One effected me the most thousands ordered onto mass machine gun fire to be slaughtered continuosely for years on end ....

And for what? Nothing! No ground was gained.

If you haven't then I suggest you read the book:

"All Quiet on the Western Front"

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/355697.All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front?from_search=true

It tells the story from a German perspective but it's no different to that an Aussie or Brit would tell.



__________________

 

"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"

Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
The Belmont Bear


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1896
Date:
Permalink  

I have long held the belief that after WW1 not only the leaders on the losing side should have been tried for their war crimes but there were also 1 or 2 in the British high command who could have faced judgement for the role that they played in the senseless slaughter of all those young men. 

Ron I haven't read the book but I do have that movie on DVD and as you say it gives you a different perspective of what the German soldiers went through and from what I can see it was just as horrific for them.

BB



__________________

DavRo

2018 Grand Cherokee Limited - 2022 Concorde 2000
Ron-D


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1378
Date:
Permalink  

My grand father and his father were both there he was only kid that put his age up ,they both returned from the war but he did not live a long life  his lungs were destroyed from the gas apparently...



-- Edited by Ron-D on Monday 7th of May 2018 08:37:00 AM

__________________
HiAce98


Veteran Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 91
Date:
Permalink  

As a baby-boomer immigrant I grew up with family who had first-hand experience in being caught up in war, and the after effects whether physical or mental will never leave them. But I'll never forget some graffiti in Adelaide that said "Fighting for peace is like f**king for chastity". I think maybe we should go back to having the king (president or prime minister) lead the troops into battle. That way they may make more effort to solve the problem with the pen instead of the sword. Some things ARE worth fighting for, but I'm sick of "Leaders" who antagonise each other and then send the poor darn foot soldiers out to die or become physically or mentally crippled, and when they make it home the govts leave it to "charitable" organisations to try and pick up the pieces.
"Lest we forget" is not relevant for me because I assure you I can never forget. Thank you ANZACs for what you did for us, and damn you politicians that made it necessary.



__________________
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Click here for the Grey Nomads website -> The Grey Nomads Forum -> "I digress ..." -> "Happy ANZAC day" inappropriate.
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook