posted on April 23, 2001 11:56:12 PM
In just a few hours, towns and cities all around Australia will be celebrating our fallen soldiers at Dawn Services. Anzac Day is one of the most important days in the year for most Australians, a day when we honour our fallen heros', a day when service men and women from all walks of life get together and remember those friends and loved ones lost in all wars across the board.
Vietnam Vets march along side old soldiers from WW1 who are usually in a convoy of vintage cars, we will see the proud men and women from the 2nd world war and now our young men and women from Timor.
Anzac Day is a proud day for us all, we all watch the parades and the wreath laying with pride. You almost have a sense of being with these brave people. It is a time for them to get together for a drink or just a game of two up. For many it is a celebration of life.
The Anzac Requiem
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At he going down of the sun and in the morning,
posted on April 24, 2001 05:29:11 AM
On 25th April, 1915 the Spirit of the Anzac was born. There were many young men from Australia and New Zealand who lost there lives on that beach in Gallipoli Peninsula, also known as Anzac Cove. For those who survived it was the beginnings of Freedom. The survivors of that terrible battle, carried the memory of their fallen mates, and kept that memory alive, so that almost 90 years later we still feel the pride of their bravery.
The Spirit of Anzac is not something that is visible to the eye, but it is a powerful force, that has a driving sensation that can be felt, and it lives in the hearts and souls of most Australian and New Zealand citizens. Many of the original Anzacs' have long since passed away, but their memory is carried with every service person in every conflict. Today we are free and we have all the privileges and rights that come with living in a free country, this is all due to the original Anzacs'. They fought and suffered so that we could live in freedom and peace.
posted on April 24, 2001 05:42:23 AM
This is compliments of Pharlap, it is the traditional game played by our diggers on Anzac Day, also know as our service men and women. The game of Two Up.
posted on April 24, 2001 12:11:15 PM
A day for honoring brave men...thank you for the background, Nettak..very inspiring and truly a proud day for Australians and New Zealanders, everywhere.
posted on April 24, 2001 04:05:18 PM
On April 25, 1915 thousands of young men from Austrlia and New Zealand disembarked from a fleet of ships bound for a small beach on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
For the next nine months, more than 50,000 Australians and 18,000 New Zealanders dug into the enemy hillside and resisted countless attacks. Many of these bold young men still remain today on that peninsula with 8709 Australians and 2700 New Zealanders killed at Gallipoli.
To acknowledge their courage and dedication here is a poem by J. Rokesky.
On April 25th this year
Please pause, and spare a thought
For those service men and women
Who so bravely went and fought.
They left their homes and families
They left all doubt behind
They only took their basic needs
And a courage hard to find.
The stars upon our Southern Cross
Would have matched those in their eyes
For they were young and eager
To defend our clear blue skies.
And in this flag, I place my trust
And hold my head up high
The southern land we hold so dear
Is why they surely died.
posted on April 24, 2001 04:46:42 PM
Thank you Mouse, Victoria and Zilvy, we Aussies just take it for granted that everyone knows what ANZAC DAY means. But it came to my attention just recently that most other countries do not have this sort of thing for there returned service men and women past and present. We are very proud of our nations history, we may not be a very old country by some standards but we are just as proud of our country as anyone else is in theirs.
My main intention apart from honouring our brave service people, was to show everyone else a little about our country and our history. We know so much about America, but it seems you know very little about us.
(I just wish I had my oven so I could make Anzac biscuits 
)
Hippy wannabe 
~^~