TWC ANZAC DAY MEMORIAL 2012

[=Prince Nuada=]

In Australia we celebrate our nation on Australia Day.
I don't mind people getting toasted and having fun then, but it makes me angry when people do it on ANZAC day.

[OG Grenadier]

If you died for your country, wouldn't you rather they enjoy life and celebrate the country you fought to give them rather than sit around like mopes crying about your death?

Does it change the fact you're dead? Does it account for the pain and suffering you went through for them? No, you didn't die to get cried over. You died to ensure the freedom of your people and your country, and you want them to revel in it, if anything to celebrate your courage and sacrifice.

Possibly the best response I have ever seen in .... 14 years of forums. BUT... we must honor the War dead. We must remember them. It gives substance to the fabric of all that we hold close... and dear.

Thank you.

[Princess Cadance]

God bless the lost soldiers of ANZAC. I may be an American,but I know how close our three countries are and even if the motives for which your(and eventually our) soldiers,died were perhaps questionable they did so for there country and as there duty. In thanks to our alliance with you and the other Commonwealth states I commend the memory of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. Long live ANZUS,the United States, Australia,and New Zealand! God bless.

[white-wolf]

RIP the fallen at Gallipoli (Gelibolu, Çanakkale) from both sides.

It is very curious that Gallipoli wars (including naval wars) caused the both births of nation of Turks from Ottoman Empire and Australians from British Empire. At least that war gave the notion of nationhood to mentioned folks.

We Turks, as a warlike people, do respect a few enemies' soldiers. Diggers earned our respect as very good, brave, component and "fair" warriors at the sands and hills of Gelibolu soil, in a war which was not theirs.

[Captain Hastings]

As a New Zealander who lost relatives in WWI, I find it highly offensive that you refer to the sacrifices made by ANZAC forces as a "national myth" - there are graveyards from Palestine, to Turkey, to Belgium and France full of Aussie and Kiwi soldiers that died fighting a war that was non of our concern simply because we were still part of the stinking British Empire. You can add the Boer War into that too while we're at it. 100,000 New Zealanders served in WWI from a population that was just over 1m. Is it any wonder that it had such a huge impact on us and still does almost a hundred years on?

So, in conclusion, I'm not entirely sure what kind of a myth you're referring to - but I'd prefer it if you showed some respect for all the men who died if for no other reason.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=ga...ient=firefox-a

You're funny.

For Australia and New Zealand, WWI and the appalling losses both countries suffered relative to our populations are remembered not only for that reason, but also because it was in fact the true beginning of our sense of nationhood, and not simply being British colonies. Now, ANZAC day for us is a day to honour and remember all our war dead from the Boer War, to WWI and WWII, Korea, Vietnam and more recently Iraq and Afghanistan.

Australia's losses were to the tune of 1.38% of the population while New Zealand's was 1.64%. Hardly 'appalling' compared to the sacrifices made by Romania, Serbia and the Ottomans (9.33%; 16.11%; 13.72%.), or indeed Britain, that 'stinking' empire you refer to. I don't know about New Zealand, but nobody forced Australians to go fight in the first two years of the war. They went because they wanted to.

[IZob]

If you died for your country, wouldn't you rather they enjoy life and celebrate the country you fought to give them rather than sit around like mopes crying about your death?

Isnt that what Australia day is for? I made a mistake. Anzac day is more then just mourning the lost ones. Its also for rembering and honouring those who went to war. You do not have to mope or cry when you are honouring someones death.

Does it change the fact you're dead? Does it account for the pain and suffering you went through for them? No, you didn't die to get cried over. You died to ensure the freedom of your people and your country, and you want them to revel in it, if anything to celebrate your courage and sacrifice.

I think the number of recent deaths do have an impact on the day. So yes it does matter to some whether their friends/family member(s) are dead or alive.

Unfortunatly there is a group that does celeberate the freedom from the wars on Anzac day, which is fine, but its in the mannor of getting drunk, gambling and commercially funded sports. Which completly go's against the idea of "Lest we forget". Half of the day has become more about the commercial tradition then following actuall meaning of the day.

[Azog 150]

'Happy' ANZAC Day?

I would have thought this day is anything but 'happy'

Lets give remembrance to the sacrifices of the 11,430 ANZAC volunteers who died in the bloody and senseless violence of Gallipoli. But let us not also forget the deaths of the 32,662 British, Indian, Newfoundland and French soldiers who died there and who volunteered in the exact same manner as their ANZAC counterparts, and of course the 86,692 Ottomans. We can throw around accusations all day of evil British officers throwing away the lives of Australians and New Zealanders, but lets not forget the fact that many of the officers were themselves ANZACs and they were just as much to blame, and that all the men on the ground, regardless of nationality, were in the same boat.

[Captain Hastings]

'Happy' ANZAC Day?

I would have thought this day is anything but 'happy'

Lets give remembrance to the sacrifices of the 11,430 ANZAC volunteers who died in the bloody and senseless violence of Gallipoli. But let us not also forget the deaths of the 32,662 British, Indian, Newfoundland and French soldiers who died there and who volunteered in the exact same manner as their ANZAC counterparts, and of course the 86,692 Ottomans. We can throw around accusations all day of evil British officers throwing away the lives of Australians and New Zealanders, but lets not forget the fact that many of the officers were themselves ANZACs and they were just as much to blame, and that all the men on the ground, regardless of nationality, were in the same boat.

Hear, hear!

[Ketnix]

It is a shame that in Australia the public has seemed to have forgeten the sacrifices that all men made in that campaign, no matter what part of the world they came from.

[Genius of the Restoration]

Unfortunatly there is a group that does celeberate the freedom from the wars on Anzac day, which is fine, but its in the mannor of getting drunk, gambling and commercially funded sports. Which completly go's against the idea of "Lest we forget".

Except that two-up was played extensively by Australian soldiers during WW1 and gambling on it was a big part of it then and now. Complaining about gambling on a day designed to honour those soldiers takes a very one-sided view to the past. Lest we forget that they gambled too. What a shock, they weren't that different to us in that respect.

[Captain Hastings]

Except that two-up was played extensively by Australian soldiers during WW1 and gambling on it was a big part of it then and now. Complaining about gambling on a day designed to honour those soldiers takes a very one-sided view to the past. Lest we forget that they gambled too. What a shock, they weren't that different to us in that respect.

But isn't it meant to be illegal for us ordinary people to play two-up on Anzac Day?

[Genius of the Restoration]

It's the one day in the year that it's not illegal. The laws were designed that way to allow people to do something that was an important pastime for the people the holiday is in recognition of. It's a clever little national identity trick to give people a link to the past so that there's continuity. That's why the concept of complaining about gambling being against the idea of 'lest we forget' is so wrong. It's practically the legal embodiment of the national creation myth.

[Captain Hastings]

Ah, that's what it is. Well, I don't really care what people do on the day. Just give me a dozen Anzac biscuits and I'm happy.

[Frederich Barbarossa]

booooooooo my great great grandpa died because of you rascals. Next time a war happens, don't intervene based on your own interests. That's all you Brits do. D:<

Anyways happy memorial to my families enemies.

[Dan the Man]

booooooooo my great great grandpa died because of you rascals. Next time a war happens, don't intervene based on your own interests. That's all you Brits do. D:<

Anyways happy memorial to my families enemies.

Stay classy...

[=Prince Nuada=]

booooooooo my great great grandpa died because of you rascals. Next time a war happens, don't intervene based on your own interests. That's all you Brits do. D:<

Anyways happy memorial to my families enemies.

How can Australians or New Zealanders be your family's enemies?
Australians are only in Afghanistan right now but we're not enemies of Afghanistan.
New Zealand, as far as I know, don't have any troops committed overseas at all.
So what's your beef?

[Azog 150]

I think a better question is how can an entire nationality be your enemy for something a small number of political elites engaged in nearly one hundred years ago?

Frederich Barbarossa, I know its the TD and all, but this thread isn't the time nor place for such ridiculous and ignorant comments

[Comrade_Rory]

My personal opinion is that even if someone doesn't agree with a date that is dedicated to the respect of armed forces... someone else obviously does agree with it and you should show respect for that persons opinion. You never know if someone on here lost a loved one or their parents lost a loved one or whatever.

Anyway, i've always had massive amounts of respect for all of the various armed forces that served the commonwealth.