Lest we forget.

[Dennis]

In Remembrance of all those brave souls that faced the horrors of war and those that continue to serve.

I thank you for your sacrifice and am deeply grateful for the freedom I enjoy today.

Lest we forget.

Dennis

[leon]

Yes Dennis, Lest we forget indeed.

Leon

[Kunama]

Well said Dennis

Lest We Forget

[JA]

Lest we forget the fallen and the horrors of war.

JA

[speach (Simon)]

ANZAC day, I think, is loosing it meaning for the younger generation

[Bart]

Lest we forget, and not just those that lost their lives or fought, but what it was all for, the true meaning behind the ceremonies and parades.

Thank you all.

[Ric]

Lest we forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Originally Posted by speach

ANZAC day, I think, is loosing it meaning for the younger generation

I disagree. Given the turnout at dawn services across the nation and overseas. There has been a few attention seekers that have tried to create division but the majority both young and old hold fast to the tradition.

[xstream (John)]

Lest we forget.




With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children
England mourns for her dead across the sea,
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And glory that shines upon our tears.

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.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again,
They sit no more at familiar tables of home,
They have no lot in our labour of the daytime,
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires and hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the night.

As the stars shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

- Written by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

[beren]

Lest we forget

[Dennis]

I wonder how this author would fare in one of the less tolerant regimes, where journalists have little or no freedom of speech and people live in real fear of speaking out.

Even though our democracies do have their own shortcomings, I would always choose a flawed democracy over a regime where there is little, or no freedom of speech and the rights of its citizens are severely curtailed or plain ignored.

These are some of the reasons why I am so deeply indebted to those who have served and suffered the horrors of war, to safeguard my freedom of speech, as well as those who continue to serve to protect our democracies and values.

Cheers

Dennis

[Paul Haese]

As an ex serviceman I always think quite a lot about those that fell (rightly or wrongly) before I joined and those that have fallen since on this day.

I have many memories of doing cenotaph duty at the dawn service in Martin Place in Sydney for several years whilst posted there. The months of training to do the drill so it appeared seamless and all in time being upper most in my memory and the last words of the staff sergeant telling us not to F... this up as we started our entrance into Martin Place.

Though I must say in those days (the early 80s) the crowds were a lot smaller due to the unpopular recent action of Vietnam. I still cannot hear the bagpipes without it arousing an emotional response.

So as others have said I say lest we forget or else we are condemned to make the same mistakes.

[GrahamL]

I hadn't been to a dawn service in a while , last time there was maybe 50 people , today several hundred and many young people as well.

That airhead who got herself sacked from fairfax is a special kind of stupid and needs to be ignored and starved of the attention she so desperately wants.

[StuTodd]

Originally Posted by speach

ANZAC day, I think, is loosing it meaning for the younger generation

I think your percieved apathy of the "younger" generation in these war remembrances is probably more to do with the passage of time, a natural historical blurring of the sacrifices given by now-not-so immediate family.

Also, WW1 is still taught in some curriculums but with added context of the suffering of all sides, not just an allied POV, which is a good thing. Remembering the sacrifices of both allied and enemy forces is becoming more of a personal thing with time.

[casstony]

My issue with Anzac day is that it doesn't go far enough. While remembering the fallen is certainly a worthy gesture, where is the debate about the causes of war and prevention of future war?
I fear we are just as susceptible as ever to manipulation by powerful, psycopathic people, many of whom are in charge of corporations and governments today.

[Kunama]

There are 364 other days each year to sort out the wherefores and the whys...

Let us just let the one day be a day when we can show some respect for those who put their lives on the line in both the distant past and the recent conflicts.

There will always be loudmouthed attention seekers like the woman referred to earlier who, through ill will or ignorance seek, to find media attention. They have that right because men and women stood up to be counted.

Lest We Forget those who had and those who have the courage to do their Duty and Serve their country.

Unfortunately there are far too many who do not understand the meaning of 'Duty' and 'to Serve'.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by Kunama

There are 364 other days each year to sort out the wherefores and the whys...

Let us just let the one day be a day when we can show some respect.

The whys and wherefores are never sorted out on any day. Anzac day is the perfect launching pad for discussion. Year after year goes by as we move closer to the next conflict.

Ask yourself what a fallen soldier would have been most concerned about: being remembered, or having their kids and grandkids avoid the same fate? We're falling short on the most important of those options and in doing so dishonouring the fallen.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by StuTodd

I think your percieved apathy of the "younger" generation in these war remembrances is probably more to do with the passage of time, a natural historical blurring of the sacrifices given by now-not-so immediate family.

Also, WW1 is still taught in some curriculums but with added context of the suffering of all sides, not just an allied POV, which is a good thing. Remembering the sacrifices of both allied and enemy forces is becoming more of a personal thing with time.

Well said.
The Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Koreans. The men who fought were not inherently psychopathic, though the leaders who sent them to fight might have been.
They all suffered just like we did.

Lest We Forget.

[sil (Steve)]