Thank You - ANZACS

Thank You - ANZACS

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a BIG THANK YOU to those War veterans whom fought for this country in the various  war campaignes.

Yet on this day 25 April, every year we get the opportunity to reflect, remember, the ultimate sacrifices that you all gave to preserving this way of life.

Lest we forget? No way, never, ever! You will all always be remembered. Whether it be 'The Great War" (WW I), WW II, Korea, Malaya, Veitnam - You all rose to your countries calling. My eternal thanks for keeping New Zealand safe and secure.

touche LG. good to see a big crowd at the dawn service this morning. moving ceremony as always

Very well said Lonegunmen.  I agree completely.

I was in Akaroa this morning and was really disappointed that I just missed the service.  Although before I left I saw hundreds of people gathered together by the war memorial, and it was great to see them all gathering to remember the bravery of the ANZAC's.
loyalgunner2008-04-25 19:08:37

Wore black armbands at Birko in honour. Thought it was a very nice touch.

larger turn outs every year. Awesome to see. It's sad moments like this that bring the ANZAC countries closer together and rightly so. Together our countries put up an awesome fighting force to keep the Germans and the Japanese from our various shores. It's just a shame that some of the Key players in the military hiracey never had the balls to lead the front line charge. Perhaps then, they might not have been so keen to line up hundreds of guys in a line and run at various machine gun posts.

Lonegunmen2008-04-27 21:58:14

A younger generation is starting to take ownership of ANZAC Day as the old soldiers die off. Loads more people are visting Gallipolli now than 12 years ago when I visited.   I think there was always a bit of a gap between the civilian population and old soldiers given the old soldiers had lived through experiences that civilians could not really understand.  So maybe people were respectful but didn't regard ANZAC Day as their day - but a day for the soldiers.  That attitude seems to have gone now and people are getting really interested in finding out what their parents/grandparents experiences were in the wars while they still can.

It was an excellent documentary. better than I was expecting. His modesty is amazing and his humbleness too. Saving his friend in the line of fire, displays beyond doubt, those attributes of a VC winner. I hope one day to meet this man and shake his hand and thank him for doing his job to the best of his ablities. I won't call him a hero because I know he is uncomfortable with that lable. But he is certainly a man one could trust with their life. Lonegunmen2008-04-27 21:59:47

My great-grandfather who I never met fought in Gallipoli in the Great War.  He was shot through the mouth and the bullet came out his cheek, but he survived.  He came back to NZ and never said anything about what happened over there because it was too awful.  He was later involved in WWII but to a far lesser degree due to his age.

My Grandma's cousins was in the Maori battalion and he was a POW in Japan, but when Japan surrendered, instead of realising him, they got him and some other POW's and beheaded them on a beach.
loyalgunner2008-04-27 13:10:29

R.I.P my Great Uncle, Gunner Colin Fuller, who died from wounds received during an air raid on his artillery position in North Africa in, I think, 1942.

Hey Kiwi pie, we shall never ever forget the price so many paid. a 20 year old hero. Lonegunmen2008-04-27 22:04:02

What was the name of that movie lonegunmen?

I'll try and find out, it resulted in them getting caught and as a result of their bravery, they were beheaded. Lonegunmen2008-04-28 21:59:10