"I was your mate... the kid across the street... the med. student at graduation... the mechanic in the corner garage...
the baker who brought you bread... the gardener who cut your lawn... the clerk who sent your phone bill.
I was an Army private... a Naval commander... an Air Force bombardier. no man knows me... no name marks my tomb,
for I am every Australian serviceman... I am the Unknown Soldier.
I died for a cause I held just in the service of my land... that you and yours may say in freedom...
I am proud to be an Australian."
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.
GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
They have no grave but the cruel sea
No flowers lay at their head
A rusting hulk is their tombstone
Afast on the ocean bed
We Will Remember Them
"LEST WE FORGET"
John G
Ex: LSQMG, RAN
HMA Ships Archer (P86) and Buccaneer (P100)
For 3 years in a row now my wife and I headed off at 3.30am to Elephant Rock, Currumbin beach on the Gold Coast (where channel 7 Sunrise did their coverage from).
A truely beautiful place to reflect and celebrate Anzac Day. The sand under foot, the waves crashing and the most incredible atmosphere is something you just have to experience. It is very moving.
3 years ago I thought the crowd was huge perhaps 6000plus, last year I estimated it had nearly doubled and this year, well if it wasn't close on double last year I would be more than surprised.
So many people together and not one incident, it shows how well we can get along together.
Aside from the the moving service it was great to hear Aboriginal and women service personnel recognised for their contribution to the freedoms we have today.
As usual a young person is called upon to deliver their thoughts of Anzac Day and the young lady from grade 7 did our youth proud.
Currumbin RSL noted they had lost more service members this year than in any other year and I think their presidents comments when he said about the crowd "if you could see what I see from up here" indicates we don't take this day for granted as just another holiday. The older servicemen and women can see that Anzac Day will never be forgotten even long after they are gone.
Just as the Sun was about to break the horizon 14 surf boats from The Vikings SLSC sat cerimoniously off the beach to scatter the ashes of 14 of those men and women just out from the breaking waves.
Then as the Sun rose over the horizon to end the service John Williamson took the stage and sang True Blue.
My 22 year old son and a friend of his had not been to a morning service like this and I could see it definitely moved them.
Thank you to all who gave us the freedom we have in this beautiful country.
On of the few benefits of living in Belgium for the last couple of years was being able to regularly visit the Somme and surrounding areas....
We successfully found the graves of two great uncles who died -aged 17 and 19.
Lest we forget.
This day always reminds me the sacrifice of others and my own service. Ex Australian Army 1981-1987. I spent 4 anzac days doing cenotaph drill at the dawn service at Martin Place in Sydney (I must have been good at drill) and 2 others doing drill in Brisbane. I don't always go to the dawn service these days but I do think of the fallen diggers and some of my fallen mates on this day. It is a tough day.
Lest we forget.
My grandfather who passed away 10 years ago would have been 93 today xx, also remembering my great-grandfather a member of the 59th battalion and a Gallipoli survivor. xx
Had the honour of being on deployment for ANZAC Day in 2002. I will never forget that dawn service. My thoughts are especially with those who are deployed this ANZAC Day.
My thanks to all men and women, past and present, who have served.
) and 2 others doing drill in Brisbane. I don't always go to the dawn service these days but I do think of the fallen diggers and some of my fallen mates on this day. It is a tough day.
