What does ANZAC Day mean to you?

[Didaksgoal]

Some brilliant, touching, stories in this thread.

What the day means to me:

In an ANZAC sense.................sacrifice. Sacrifice for your Country, sacrifice for your Family, and, for many, sacrifice of life and sanity. An absolute sh!t situation for any human being. For a person to be put in a situation of WAR, and knowing, possibly, your next step is your last, and what that must bring to your being, I can only imagine the horror and mind turmoil.

So, on ANZAC day, I remember the "sacrifice" that was/is made by many.

There was a thing on the radio a couple of days ago about the men returning from Afghanistan..........and the extremely high statistic of suicide. Very sad. Support services and DVA need to get on top of this ASAP. If it's good enough for this/our government to put men and women in the situation of WAR, then it can certainly take care of its soldier's after WAR, and they do, but more needs to be done.


In a Football sense....................I just want to beat the Dons. Nothing like an ANZAC day victory.......apart from a good final or a Premiership win!!!!
Also, I like to reflect on that FKNG umpire who paid the the non mark and 50 against Anthony Rocca in the 2009 ANZAC game in the last quarter. It will sh!t me to my last breath. The umps screwed another Collingwood game, again! What a woeful, horrific decision that was from a top level umpire....FC!


Go The Pies!

[Piesnchess]

I will be marching for my late dad, six year WW2 vet, and for my three great uncles, all killed in the first world war, on the somme. My late grandad, was at Gallipoli, and was gassed on the somme, he told me of the horrors of war. My family never really got over that, my late grandmother, dads mum, sure didn't, losing three of her bros. But, I do worry a bit about the trend the day seems to be taking, too much flag waving and jingoism, nationalism, I just wonder if all these young people I see draped in the flag, really KNOW of the horrors of war, the hell of it, the sheer waste of it all, it all seems to be sanitized now by a media beat up, and politicians, glorifying war, not speaking of its horrors. I just wonder, do young people really know the truth of what really happened at Gallipoli ? And I worry that next year, the centernary, it will be turned into some gigantic nationalistic circus event, with rabid shock jocks going nuts over it. Sorry if I upset some on here, but I feel really strongly about this, the day should be observed with dignity and reverence, not with jingoistic rubbish that glorifies war, ala the Murdoch press and shock jocks like neil Mitchell and alan jones. Anyway, end of rant, and Lest we forget. Oh yes, and go PIes.

[stui magpie]

Not a personal thing but I thought I'd share it. Larry Pickering put this on Facebook.

[John Wren]

100 year "celebration". how are you planning on commemorating the service of those who fought for our country?

i will attend the dawn service at the shrine and then be heading to the footy later on. the pregame experience (from the dawn service to the last post on the g) is an annual highlight.

lest we forget.

[jackcass]

Echo the sentiments of many.

I am concerned that the media are starting to make it a bit of a circus. Let it be about the brave men, women, and animals who sacrificed so much for us to have the lives we live today rather than about how expansive the coverage by station X is.

[RudeBoy]

ANZAC day used to mean a solemn remembrance of the futility of war and particularly the senseless slaughter of WWI, where my grandfather lost his 2 brothers.

Today, unfortunately, the nationalistic jingoism, which began under the Howard government, has turned this solemn day into a circus and a glorification of 'the fighting diggers spirit'. Honestly, I reckon the ghosts of that horrible war would turn in their graves at how this occasion has now become a recruiting exercise for the Australian army. Furthermore, the 'celebrations' at ANZAC cove have somehow morphed into something akin to schoolies week. The insensitivity and cultural arrogance of us going to Turkey in our thousands to celebrate our failed attempt to invade their country is breathtaking.

On ANZAC day I will be taking a minute silence to recall the horrors of war and to remind myself why we should do all in our powers to keep out of war.

[John Wren]

last night i watched a documentary on the abc which showed aspects of the "annual pilgrimage" to gallipoli. i was mortified to learn that you could only access it via a tour group and that sporting group the fanatics was one of the official groups who could facilitate it. the bright yellow t shirts etc looked simply dreadful. also, it appeared people were camping in amongst the memorial headstones. it just looked so crass.

i am saddened by how commercial the day has become. that woolworths copped the bulk of the criticism is slightly unfair given other, less veiled efforts to earn a buck from the day.

[watt price tully]

Usually I find the whole jingoistic commercialism quite offensive which has been magnified now because of the centenary.

I do feel paricularly concerned about the overvaluing of Gallipoli compared to the Western Front as sad as it was, the myth of the outback Aussie (most soldiers came from the cities as Australia before WW1 was Australia one of the most urbanised places on earth) & the fact that old polilies still send young men mostly & women to die with ill thought out planning in wars that have little if anything to do with us. However I was moved & informed by this show last night on ABC TV:

Lest we forget what? (below is a link to the programme).

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/lest-we-forget-what/DO1321H001S00

Having said that I will be attending the game & the game for me, the silence & build up provides time to consider, reflect & pause about war, conflict, casualties, the after-effects of war & the innocents involved. Indeed how lucky I am be born here, have a family here all without having to experience war. I thank my late Dad for choosing to live in Australia & Australia allowing him to live here after he & my mothers families appalling, tragic & lived experience of WW2.

[John Wren]

^ that's the doco i watched.

[thompsoc]

[regan is true fullback]

150 years since the end of the American Civil War, 70 years since the end of WW2, and 40 years since the end of that utter blight on this country, Vietnam.

As Tom Lehrer said in 1965:

"It's been a great year for the war buffs"

Next year we remember a far more contentious memorial - 100 years since the Dublin Easter Uprising. I expect this event to pass virtually unnoticed in this country, in spite of all those involved at the time on either side, including the dreaded Churchill. Because we have witnessed it's aftermath, and didn't like it, I expect it to be remembered in silence...

[GreekLunatic]

thats all we need the fanatics at gallipoli . We should think about the ones who lost their lives at war

[Woods]

[John Wren]

just visited the shrine and the exhibits of the different wars. if you have some time i very much recommend having a look.

[droversdog65]

Many younger Australians misunderstand the meaning of ANZAC day and who can blame them.

I'm in my '60's and can remember those ANZAC'S as real men - not as faltering, aged icons held up as giants. Small wonder many can't relate to the legend they represent.

The British military were astonished with their superb physical condition and horried at their lack of professional military correctness. They used us as shock troops - canon fodder - if you will, and were shocked at our ferocity at the enemy and valour in the defence of a 'mate'.

Those who don't understand need to remember we are talking about 1915 - that is only 14 short years after the founding of our nation's capitol in Canberra. We were very still much a British colony and bursting with pride to march off to war in defense of democracy and mother England. Australians as a people were still very much of the 'colonial' mindset and there were many, many more men and families in 'the outback', working in places and situations that were so extremely physically and spiritually demanding that today's Australian would simply not comprehend how any soul could endure them. But these were the conditions that men had to work in to open up the heartland of this country.

Many of the young men from the stations and the bush towns marched to war, young men so tough in body and heart that they were the envy of the front line. These then were the ANZAC'S, there was no high minded oratory that motivated them it was a simple case of doing what had to be done.

If my poor account has failed to move doubting hearts - and let's face it I'm no Hemmingway - go you down beneath the Shrine of rememberance and walk through 'the crypt'. Take the time to stop by the 'landing boat' exhibit and listen to the audio presentation right through (it only takes 5 minutes) to hear just what these young men faced.

A couple of hours once a year is a small price to pay to the memory of those young giants who exemplified a young and committed Australia.

The ANZAC tradition doesn't glorify war, it honours a fighting tradition and belief that a 'mate' is someone worthy of laying down your life for - many did - and the disrespect for such staunchness is something that deeply, deeply saddens this old Aussie.

I will be remembering my uncle Charles, an artillary spotter with the Australian Air Corps lost in action over the front line, my uncle Fred buried among a host of heroes at Lone Pine, my uncle Frank buried home on Aussie soil but deeply scarred by his experiences in the Pacific as a military longshoresman and my dad who served in the evacuation of both Crete and Sicily.

Lest we forget.