ANZAC Day
It is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand, which is similar to the American Veterans Day, in that it began as a remembrance of World War I, and has become more generalized over the years.
“Anzac Day commemorates the involvement of Australian and New Zealand troops in a World War I campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.” Last year was the centennial of the Gallipoli landing.
The Gallipoli Campaign began as a Winston Churchill [then First Lord of the Admiralty] plan that spun out of control and got a lot of people killed on both sides with nothing much changing, but then, that was quite common in World War I.
Peter Weir made a movie, Gallipoli, which, if nothing else, proves that Sergeant Alvin York, and T.E. Lawrence weren’t the only people who fought in World War I.
[Note: The date is April 25 which April 24 in the US because of the time difference.]
5 comments
Yes. Thanks to the current LNP asshole Government in residence, Anzac day was pretty much ruined for most people, especially the Veterans!
Here is one example (of course, there are others):
Anzac Day 2016: Liberal MP Stuart Robert criticised for linking war veterans and negative gearing policy
He deleted the tweet of course, but these morons have no clue about how the Internet works. So of course it’s gone viral on Twitter, You Tube & the media. 🙂
But Aussies ignored the typical LNP idiocy and turned out in the 10’s of thousands to commemorate the only ones who matter, the ANZAC fallen & veterans. 🙂 I was happy to see a big turnout as I went to remember my courageous maternal Grandfather to whom I owe so much!
Rest in Peace Grandad. You will always be with me, and it wasn’t for nothing!
It has always amazed me that Churchill tried again to push Gallipoli as an entry point during WWII. Did he want to justify all the wasted WWI soldiers by finally invading Europe that way? Glad the Allied forces ignored his suggestions….
All you have to do is look at a topographical map to figure out what a nightmare a landing at Gallipoli would be. “It is so insane they would never suspect we would try it again…”
The ‘conservatives’ always claim to support veterans until it looks like it is going to cost them money. They love uniforms, as long as no one expects them to wear them.
Crazy enough, it just might work!
Terry Pratchett’s Jingo is so true about war it is painful.
NTodd, it is really scary how often over history your comment was almost certainly said in a council of war.