Anzac Day

[den]

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

Kemal Ataturk


They shall not grow old
As we that are left grow old;
age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn:
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them
Lest we forget

Laurence Binyon

Comments

[pipibluestockin]

"ANZAC" is an anacronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

There are reasonable enough explainations down below - although so far nobody has added that the survivors from Gallipoli were then thrown in to the trenches in France.

Or that we got used as shock troops (thrown into the front line by the British)

Or that neither country, Australia or New Zealand had a particularly large population at the time - comparatively speaking we lost a lot of young men.

---

Over the years since WWI, ANZAC Day has been our day of commemoration to those that have died in all wars. From the Boer War (pre-WW1) to Vietnam.

[bobbain.livejournal.com]

:Over the years since WWI, ANZAC Day has been our day of commemoration
:to those that have died in all wars. From the Boer War (pre-WW1) to Vietnam.

I recall during the 1970's the "true ANZACS" arguing that those who served in Vietnam weren't "part of the club". This created considerable hostility among those who served in Vietnam.

I heard the radio broadcast this morning and it was devoted to ALL Australian soldiers, noting their service in Vietnam but also in Iraq, countries to the north of us and in obscure (to me) countries in Africa.