ANZACs and war and stuff

[Virago]

I made the comment earlier that more people nowadays would register as CO's if called up. How do you feel? Would you join up or refuse?

Of course it may be a different political scene these days but I'd be interested in views in this, too.

It's disappointing, but not particularly surprising, that you would use Anzac Day commemorations to slide JW doctrines under the door.

[Winston001]

I haven't noticed. Perhaps you're looking for it more given the research attached to your beliefs?

As for war in general. I would sign up only to defend NZ from invaders but not to slaughter people to gain access to their resources for the privileged few. Other than that, War, HUH, what is it good for... absolutely nothing yuwaw

Mashie you mean well but your British ancestors bled and drowned to prevent the Germans from invading Britain. The rescue of the First British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk with tiny boats from England stands out as one of the bravest public actions in modern warfare. Ordinary people. Please read The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico and tell me you don't have tears. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sno...ory_of_Dunkirk

Again, Operation Overlord in 1944 was a vastly brave offence against the Wehrmacht fought mainly by small ungainly Brits who triumphed against the machine guns of the Atlantic Wall. I saw an interview with one soldier who marvelled at how they overcame the German soldiers who were so much bigger and teutonic than the English.

In another time and place these Germans would be our allies so on ANZAC Day we remember them too.

[mashman]

Mashie you mean well but your British ancestors bled and drowned to prevent the Germans from invading Britain. The rescue of the First British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk with tiny boats from England stands out as one of the bravest public actions in modern warfare. Ordinary people. Please read The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico and tell me you don't have tears. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sno...ory_of_Dunkirk

Again, Operation Overlord in 1944 was a vastly brave offence against the Wehrmacht fought mainly by small ungainly Brits who triumphed against the machine guns of the Atlantic Wall. I saw an interview with one soldier who marvelled at how they overcame the German soldiers who were so much bigger and teutonic than the English.

In another time and place these Germans would be our allies so on ANZAC Day we remember them too.

cheers for the placation Paw. I've seen the damage that war has done first hand thanks. I still cry tears from that mini experience whenever I think about it. I can still remember the names of the 5 kids that I played with in the snow. I remember feeling like an absolute fraud when handing out welly's and a teddy to shoeless kids in the ice outside of the cow shed 11 of them were living in. The entire journey was an eye opener. But yeah, I mean well.

[Maha]

It's disappointing, but not particularly surprising, that you would use Anzac Day commemorations to slide JW doctrines under the door.

How did you conclude that from what Ed wrote?

A dawn service to me, means the same as any other dawn service, a bowl of cereal followed by nice cup of tea at around 6:30am.
Wars happen, and if you're are in the army and are called up to attend one (here and there) it's your job.
ANZAC Day is different, whereas, there were those were NOT in the army at the time of WW1 but were drafted anyway...they are the real heros and always have been, for 100 years now.

ANZAC Day is a moment in times past, where Kiwis/Australians (and the Turks to certain degree) can commemorate those that died at Gallipoli.

[Pussy]

Just as well that not everyone is a soft cock like you, ed. You wouldn't have the freedom to write the crap you do, and you wouldn't be driving a Japanese car by choice....

[Karl08]

My Grandfather fought in the Solomon Islands, and a great uncle flew in the Battle of Britain.

Neither talked of the glory of war, and they never attended commemoration services (which is not to say that they didn't remember or grieve their comrades).

I am sitting here looking at two photo's of my grandfather- one was taking before he shipped out; he is smiling with his cobbers, looking fresh faced and expectant. The second was taken after a few months in the Solomons- he has the look of a much older man who has been through experiences that I can't even begin to imagine. There was no glory in war for him, he came back a tougher, harder and more volatile man.

Although he spoke fondly of knocking seven shades of shit out some marines in Manners Mall in Wellington during a rolling street brawl.......

[eliot-ness]

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
"Dulce et Decorum Est "

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 tired, outstripped Five-Nines 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 flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under I 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.

[Voltaire]

I've been around the war sites, Galipoli , Western Front, Cassino, etc. Old men in Governments sending young men off to war to do their bidding.
If they want to have a war, hire out a stadium and do it themselves.
Churchill redeemed himself in WW2, that prick Hamilton never even set foot on shore.
Met a bus load of " Old Contemptibles" at The Menin Gate once and they were very please to see so many young people at the ceremony.

[JimO]

i dont think you would get many youngsters signing up and going off to war for a adventure any more, the world is a much smaller place now and as somebody else said with discovery channel and the internet there is no mystery or misconception as to what will be happening

[James Deuce]

Not really a fan of the biscuits.

Me neither. Must be an Australian invention.

[Usarka]

I've been around the war sites, Galipoli , Western Front, Cassino, etc. Old men in Governments sending young men off to war to do their bidding.
If they want to have a war, hire out a stadium and do it themselves.
Churchill redeemed himself in WW2, that prick Hamilton never even set foot on shore.
Met a bus load of " Old Contemptibles" at The Menin Gate once and they were very please to see so many young people at the ceremony.

I checked out flanders fields, including the cemetries and Ypres. Emotional place well worth a visit and payign respect.

Had to drink some strong belgian beer afterwards and then go chill out in the 'dam.

[Hans]

Interesting photos...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-service.html

[Katman]

How did you conclude that from what Ed wrote?

While ANZAC Day can be a time to reflect on the futility of war it is primarily an opportunity to show thanks to those who made the sacrifice to protect the freedom we enjoy today - without questioning their motivations for doing so.

Ed is a cock.

[yungatart]

I went to the Dawn service with our youngest son and an international student from Turkey, who is living with us at the moment. It was poignant, as always, made more so, because he was from 'the other side'.
Youngest son did his exchange to Belgium a few years ago and was a guest of the NZ and Ozzie High Commission for Anzac Day. All the kiwi and ozzie kids were shown around the battle sites in Belgium, the cemeteries with their rows of white crosses, and our boy had the honour of laying the official NZ wreath on behalf of all Kiwis at Menin Gate.
It made the sacrifice of those young men real to him, an experience he will never forget.

Lest we forget

[Maha]

Yip, about 60,000 Turks died during the Gallipoli Campaign, a little under the total of the combined allied forces loss of 69,000 of which 2700 were Kiwis.