Anzac Day

I tend to agree with you. In fact I believe that if Anzac Day falls on a weekend we shouldn't have a long weekend. Commerate the Anzacs on the 25th regardless of the day of the week and leave it at that. Making a long weekend out of it takes something away from it.

Hi Rosco
No public holiday in Victoria on Monday.
Anzac Day will always be a special day for most Aussie's regardless of any activities
that are happening on the day, and yes "WE Will REMEMBER THEM".

Lest We Forget

Bernie

Couldn't agree more. My two grandfathers served and were decorated at Galipoli, my father was POW in Changi and my mother served in the Navy during WWII. As I am becoming older the day is becoming more and more significant to me and I have just finished the last minute arrangements for our services here in Birdsville. I am so pleased to report there are lots of people in Birdsville who are here especially for the Service here in Birdsville. We have no 'returned' people here and are very proud that people choose to spend this most important day here with us. We are especially proud of the involvement of our school children - who have written poems, made posters, cooked Anzac biscuits, will present the Remembrance Prayer at the Service, will perform poems at the Morning Tea and who are trying to understand what it all means. One of the readings tomorrow will be this :
'On this Anzac Day we stand together with pride as Australians. Let us honour the sacrifice of Australian men and women who served their country in World War 1 and 11 and in the wars in Korea and Vietnam. They servedm suffered and were wounded for our sake. Some died for us. They dies in wartime so that we might live in peace. With this memory before us we take our pledge:
We remember the past. Make Australia much better today.'

hear, hear,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
although many of us who have served remember at many different times those mates and others who paid a sacrifice, tomorrow is a day for the nation to remember....
may all remember in their own way,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Fair enough Rosco
good one Ruth
I for one will be up bright and early for dawn service then off to the melbourne march with my grandfather from the 1 Army 2 New Gunieu force 112 light anti aircraft regiment will be a special day.

Always go every year most dawn services or mid morning depending on work and did my service years ago on cenotaph duties in central vic when i was a pussa .

will be funny doing the march with pop as a civvie

Lest We Forget

Rosco,

I feel your complaint is a little unfair. Considering this forum is intended to be used for the planning and preparation of trips, the nature of the discussions will always tend towards that subject and exclude other topics.

I, am disappointed that I am not able to attend my 4WD club's trip this weekend because a considerable amount of time and effort was put into preparing their own Dawn Service in the bush.

If you ask me, the members flogging the dead horse, are the ones complaining about who does and doesn't get a long weekend.

I always do even on remembrance day 11th hr 11th day 11th month so I think most Aussies do in their own way.

I am so proud this afternoon that I'm almost busting - we had the most wonderful day, even if it started (for me) at 4:30 a.m. and I'm very tired. Wonderful Dawn Service, great March and Service and when I finally stopped being busy and bossy and looked around the Hall at Morning tea there was over 100 people there - all mixing and having a great chinwag together.
The kids read their poems and then took them around the people to see the drawings they had done as well.
Geoff & Karen - that piece I put into the Post earlier about Anzac Day - one of the teachers showed me earlier in the week - it is part of suggested school activities from the Dept. of Education in Queensland. In fact I have been amazed at the information now being taught to children in schools about this day - it hasn't always been this way.
It was especially poignant for Birdsville - because most people don't know but we have an 85% Aboriginal population - and an Aboriginal lady read that piece at the parade - but out here, they consider themselves as Australians, which we all are.

Rosco, there's also been a fair bit of banter about dawn services abd the like on the forum, although as pointed out above, the trips away for the weekend would most likely include a small rememorial for the reason for a long weekend in states where ya lucky enough to get one. In a country where the queens birthday and an 8 hour day are reasons for time off, Anzac Day is far more deserving of some tim eoff to prompt reflection. Lest we forget.

Rosco,
Down south we had a dawn service in the rain, a march down the main street at 11.30am, yet my employer doesn't really care as long as I show for my 12 hours of fun today as public holiday's, for whatever reason, are inconsequential to him v's the almighty dollar, so we are required to attend for work. (went to the dawn service and left to front for work at 6.00am). Would be nice to spend the day as i would have wished, may-be next year.
Rolande

Rosco most years I go to the dawn sevice in our town and it makes you think about the hard ships on battle fronts past and present. The fellow that organizes the morning service got 3 fuzzy wuzzy angels to come and give a speech very well done and interesting.

Then had freinds around for a barby playing 2 up and all associated activitys.
The last went home at 12pm not bad started at 1pm.
Typing very slowly now.

All the best
Eric