Anzac day

[Napoleon Insists]

Anyone doing anything for it? My family and most notably my pop are all away gallivanting around the world on their own adventures, but I'm going to try and head to the march.

http://www.abc.net.au/innovation/gallipoli/gallipoli2.htm
That's a pretty rad site if you're interested, like a sort of interactive google maps thing the ABC did with little videos and tons of info, diary entries, interviews etc.

[Master Chief]

Seems it's a lost hope even in the modern day. Even Google Earth can't get to Constantinople from the Gallipoli Peninsula!

[G-Train]

An ironic error message MC,

I'm gonna head down to my local pub and have a few a drinks wit my cousin in rememberance, watch the march on the big LCD there.

Then I'm going to watch Kokoda (Haven't seen it yet).

Workin that night, will be wearin an ANZAC pin.

[Master Chief]

Interesting, I can't find Kokoda on blu-ray..

[Napoleon Insists]

My plans went to hell, I changed my mind somewhat and wanted to go to the dawn service across the road, got nearly no sleep, set my alarm and left the curtains open, completely missed it, woke up a bit before the parade started on TV (wasn't fit to drive) and then passed out again! Taped the parade though so that's okay.

[Master Chief]

I watched bits of the parade, same thing I do every year really. Pay my respect, drink some beer.

Didn't watch any of the footy though, getting sick of the AFL, not the teams or the game, just the actual AFL organisation.

[Napoleon Insists]

Turns out my pop was on straight after the march in a special interview about Kokoda! He told me they'd filmed him for something but not when it was gonna be on the sneaky bugger. Gran and him are in China atm though so he wasn't marching this year.

[G-Train]

Yeah, I don't think my grandmother cares much for ANZAC day either, despite my grandfather having faught at Kokoda, being shot there, recoving and then going back in.

Guess you wouldn't really want to remember that time in your life every year.

[Master Chief]

Turns out my pop was on straight after the march in a special interview about Kokoda!

When I first read that I thought it said poop

[Predator]

I watched the footy.. didn't participate in any of the other events..

I don't understand how the event has become larger each year, when the original wars get further and further in the past?

[Master Chief]

I think it's getting larger at the moment as we have soldiers in battles here and now. War is always more prominent when there is a war.

[Napoleon Insists]

Not really getting larger. I don't know about the other states. Certainly attendance fluctuates, this year wasn't great down here 'cause it was pouring with rain. Numbers are going down since a lot of the vets are dropping off.

Apparently after the first and second war there'd be thousands of people marching, that would have been a sight to see.

Just like those parades they always show in old war docos when the guys are coming back and theres confettis and streamers like 2 stories in the air. Never seen that again.

Personally I reckon it's the most important Australian holiday. It's a matter opinion though; I know a lot of people think Australia Day is a big deal and I couldn't give two  about it, unless a friend is doing something with it I won't bother.

[Predator]

hmmm...

I respect how many thousands gave their lives, and how brave that was, however it seems many attach these wars as one of the most important in defining the Australian identity, when there are so many more positive things that have done so throughout our relatively short history.

Back when I was at school, etc we never really got that much into it, and it seemed like a thing from the past... seems like all the kids these days are really fired up about it. Maybe it is just the media making a bit more of a hoo-ha about it.

[Napoleon Insists]

There's no doubt that it's not the only thing we've done, everything counts certainly, but so much of our history is tied to war, pretty much the 20th century (apart from Australia becoming a federation) stood out because it was nearly always in war, and those wars were by far the biggest and most destructive seen in human history. So, yeah, I think it's pretty reasonable that it's a big deal. Not to mention WW2 pretty much marked the only time Australia has been directly under attack and a pretty constant threat of invasion.

I guess it's more important if you have a relative that's been through it, otherwise I can understand if you don't draw much of a connection.

[G-Train]

I have to disagree Pred, I think both WW are an important part of our histroy, we shouldn't just dismiss them because they were long ago, or because they're depressing - and I would call what our men did "positive" anyway.

ANZAC day doesn't celebrate war, it remembers those who died defending us and our country. I think it's a f*king disgrace we don't do more to remember our fallen soldiers, and if you can't understand why ppl make such a "hoo-ha" about it, you should read more history, try Schindler's Ark.

[moodycj]

I have to disagree Pred, I think both WW are an important part of our histroy, we shouldn't just dismiss them because they were long ago, or because they're depressing - and I would call what our men did "positive" anyway.

ANZAC day doesn't celebrate war, it remembers those who died defending us and our country. I think it's a f*king disgrace we don't do more to remember our fallen soldiers, and if you can't understand why ppl make such a "hoo-ha" about it, you should read more history, try Schindler's Ark.

No one is disputing what they did or weather they are an important part of our history. We just have to be careful, when you said you wish in Kokoda that they had gotten their own back that put  me off a little. You missed the point, we have to remember their sacrifice and celebrate what they achieved not imagine them taking down the enemy. Also they didn't die so we would feel bad about  not doing enough to honour them or so we would have to wake up at 4am once a year.

[Predator]

g-train: we do plenty..

I have read and watched plenty of history about the wars, and that still doesn't really change my perspective on them. Gallipoli for instance was the poms sending us to the peninsula to be slaughtered because they knew it was a well defended position and we were expendable. We also did not achieve the objectives, and the Turkish Campaign was an immense failure.