Today is the 25th of April. In Australia and New Zealand it's a day for remembrance called ANZAC Day. What is ANZAC day I can hear some of you ask? Let me, let Wikipedia explain.
Anzac Day is a national public holiday in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I and also to commemorate the soldiers who fought in France and Belgium.(Reference Link)
The 25th of April is an important day for Australians, its a day in which we get to reflect and pay homage to those men and women who lost their lives fighting in a war a long way from home. It's also a chance to say thanks to all war veterans who have fought not only in WWI (I'm not sure there's any remaining diggers alive today from WWI) - WWII, The Korean War, Vietnam, IRAQ (Sorry I don't know the full list off the top of my head) However today is the one day in the 365 days of the year that as a nation we stop and say thank you. If it wasn't for the men and woman of our defence forces I know that I'd quite possibly not live in the world in which I have the privilege to do so today.
So from the words of English poet and writer Laurence Binyon I leave you with:
The Ode from For the Fallen
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment