Lest we forget....

[maarty]

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 shall remember them.

Lest we forget.


Today, April 25, we in New Zealand and Australia take a day to remember all those who have given their lives in service of our countries.
Today is ANZAC day.
Today is the day we remember the brave souls who stormed the beaches in Turkey to try and take the gun Batterys on the Dardanelles Straits. Those brave men who fought up the beaches and spent eight months on the cliffs fighting and dying in a country far from home.
This was the Gallipoli campaign, the origin of our national day of rememberence.
The day during WWI when the ANZAC spirit was forged into history and the day when the fighting spirit of the combined New Zealand and Australian forces became a part of world history, a day when a tradition of brave and selfless service began, a tradition that continues to this day despite the hamstringing of our governments policies, our fighting men and women continue to uphold this tradition and spirit in every conflict we serve in.

It is with deep regret that I look at the young children around who have been taught very little of the sacrifice that was made on this day so they can live the life they enjoy. Our schools no longer teach the young ones very much about ANZAC day and what it means. To most all it means now is a day off work or school.
Thankfully there are still some of us who do teach our children to honor and respect those veterans and those who didn't make it back and explain to them why they have this day off.



Lest we forget....