A.N.Z.A.C. day tomorrow. 25th.

To all you Norton riding Anzacs, and in deed to any body anywhere that served,
All the best, have a great day, wheather you want to remember, or, forget.
We will never forget you, male or female.


I spent today at the Repatriation Hospital ( The Repat), here in Adelaide with our son who went in yesturday
for some R&R, he is having some problems, after Afghanistan, but will be OK. He is in the right place.
Lift a glass for a Digga tomorrow.
AC.

Will do AC, will do.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not 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.

Hello Aussie Norton riders.
Lest We Forget.
it is the one day that is the closest I ever come to a religious experience. Will be attending the dawn service, as always. Rum and milk and two up.
My bikes name is The Krait. Aussies should know what this means. Strong relationship to Commando,s.
Give a buck to Legacy, they need your help. Remember ALL who have served.

For anyone interested , I have written 2 poems that I will share with anyone interested. Anzac Day and The Battle of Fromelles. Anzac day has been read at Dawn Services. If you want a copy, email Bradley at brw57@hotmail.com

Best wishes for tomorrow to Aussies and Kiwis
Aussie Bradley

To AC

Best wishes for your son's recovery. I forgot to metion that. There are still a lot of people who care
Bradley

Beautiful ANZAC day here in Auckland.
I went to Gallipoli a couple of times many years ago and much of the whole peninsula is preserved much as it was in 1915.
I read a good book about an Aussie soldier who was a POW in Turkey, interesting read.


When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be
done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the
cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

Your ANZAC day is sort of like our old Armistice Day. I was sorry when they changed it to Veteran's Day now which is Nov 11 for us, just happens to be my birthday. Hoist one for all the vets either day.

I suppose you blokes have a medal for the occasion. I've got the Army of Occupation medal which is our inter-generational medal from 1946 through 1991, the end of the cold war. I got it for being in Berlin in the 60's. On the obverse, are the abutments of the Remagen Bridge, on the reverse, is Mount Fuji with a low hanging cloud over two Japanese junks. Not that I did anything, just put my time in the Army Security Agency. I was sorry to see the conscription go away in this country, it makes it easy for a president to go to war with a volunteer army and no one complains, the civilians just go shopping.



Remember those who serve.

Dave

Hi AC
I sailed through the Dardanelles past Gallipoli and was struck by how peaceful and non-descript it was, yet filled with the same reverence I had felt in the war cemeteries in France with row upon row of crosses to fallen teenage soldiers. You could do nothing else but bow your head. Best wishes to your Lad and respect to you as a parent, sometimes it must have be more difficult to be the one at home waiting on news, glad you have him home now. I will have a quiet time by myself today remembering.
Best
McVic

all the best to my brothers in arms



vietnam 1970

I've always been impressed how Australia and New Zealand after almost 100 years have an intensely supported national event to honor those they lost during WWI when they volunteered to help Britain.
To imagine a similar event happening here in the US is a stretch. I suspect most Americans can't even name the primary combatants of WW I.
I admire OZ and NZ for their dedication to those they never knew but are still thankful for their sacrifice.

You must always remember them, sitting in a trench or on a beach for hours and days on end while getting pounded by shells not knowing if the next one was the one to do the damage. God knows why many more did not lose their minds.
My wife's grandfather was at Gallipoli with the H.L.I. and lost two fingers and part of his hearing, my own grandfather was an "old Comtemptable", and sailed for France on 4th Aug 1914 with 2nd Diviision B.E.F. He survived but was gassed and that evetually killed him in 1942, sadly I didn't get to meet him.
The real heroes were the ones who were terrified and still had the courage to go.
Each and everyone of them, from wars past to the present, deserve our thanks and remembrance.

To All who have served past, and present we are brothers in arms not matter what side you we on. We know what really happens out there. Respect to You all.

Stirring stuff.
Thanks to you all.
Thanks to them all.
AC.

Not sure what you were tring to say in the first part there Ludwig.
I don't have the figures for you on the number of deaths on Australian soil when Japan
bombed the city of Darwin or when Japanesee Subs came into Sydney Harbour, but I'm guessing
more than a few died.
Australia tries not to start Wars, but seems to get asked a lot to come and help.
AC.
I'm sory if my post has offended anyone, it is not intended.

Hi Ludwig,

I think I understand where you are coming from mate and I totally agree about the obscenity of war. When I lived in Europe it was a lesson to me because I realised those poor bastards were right inside it.

And yes maybe this post is in the wrong place. There isnt a "pub" place on this site.

But having said that I think the people attending the ANZAC ceremonies today are going there to remember their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers. And to be very thankful they did not have to serve. They are not going there to glorify war.

Australia and NZ did declare war on Japan after Pearl Harbour. And the north of Australia and Darwin was in the front line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin
Darwin was bombed for several years and the Australian army was the first to halt the Japanese advance on the Kokoda Track in the Owen Stanley Mountains of PNG. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign

I have been lucky enough to work lots of places around the world and for some reason several of my friends are German and Austrian. And to me today they are the least likely people to go to war with anyone. So the lesson to me is to remember what situations and conditions lead a nation into war - and as a citizen of a democracy to put my hand up when I see things in my own country which might push things in the same direction.

I tell you I have seriously mixed feelings about all this mate. Im the first in three generations of my familly not to have been required to serve in a war. But just last week my eldest boy passed his selction board to train as an officer in the Australian Army Reserve. I cannot say Im that happy about it but he's his own man now and I will support his decison.

John

Aussie, with family like you, I am certain your boy will recover and continue to make you proud. Cheers, Don

I'm thankful NOT to have recieved a Purple Heart from my misadventures in Iraq.
Send along my Thanks to your Son.