ANZAC Day

I'm a ashamed to say I had almost forgotten it was ANZAC day today, falling on a Saturday and the p*ssing down rain, combined with colds has kept us from our usual appearance at Dawn parade. The Last Post has me in tears every time[]. Who managed to get out and pay their respects?

Ashamed to say I didn't. The dignity of those old guys (and the occasional woman) is humbling.

And as for the @##$#@#!s that ripped off the poppy day money.... [!][!][!][!][!]

This is the first year in many we haven't been to an Anzac ceremony...used to be just down the road from us in our last place, we got caught short this time...

We travel an hour from Masterton to the tiny settlement of Lake Ferry where there is a short service at the cenotaph and then everyone adjourns to the pub across the road where there is a speaker (usually good, usually short) and then they serve a fabulous morning tea to all. This tradition follows from the fact that a local soldier spent his last evening at the pub before going off to war. All his mates shouted him and wouldn't let him spend his ten shillings. So he left it with the barman saying I'll shout when I get back. He never did and the ten bob note is still framed above the bar. Its a neat place to go as the view across the lake outlet and up across the hills while the mid morning service is on, really fits the mood of the occasion.

We didn't go to the Dawn Parade this year for the first time in many. Working in a shop recently I had had enough of people for a while. Hubby always cooks the breakfast though and they had to shift the bbq into the bar coolroom as it was too windy and horrible to cook it outside. I didn't even go to the breakfast. I always think the rain isn't important at Dawn Parade as those old fellas fought in rain, mud, sleet, blood and guts for our freedom, so a bit of rain for 20 mins isn't going to hurt me. I will be going again next year.

We had a great day ANZAC service then home and had an air show off WW1 planes including the one they have just got finished May God bless those that gave for us to have

No didn't make it to an Anzac service as quite incapacitated by a back injury at the moment. Throughtout the agony I was in today, it certainly made me think about the pain - so much worse than I was experiencing - many must have gone through. A very sobering thought. RIP our heros and thanks to all the soldiers, nurses, doctors etc still with us.

I have never been to a Dawn Service but I never forget the day either and what so many gave so that I can have .... and my children and their children.

Oskadt, even before I knew what the Last Post was (as a small child) I remember that it made me cry - and still does but now with understanding. It is the most lonely, haunting piece ever written.

Cheers,
Ronnie

We were up at 4:30am to get to the dawn service, the first one I have been to. We all walked back to the Papakura RSA for a free breakfast of sausages (cut up in gravy), mashed spud and peas and tea or coffee plus a drink ticket to get a free drink of wine, ale or spirits. I gave my ticket to an old vet with lots of medals and a hearing aid. He seemed happy about me offering it to him and I felt good giving it to him. It's the very least I could do. I am now off to bed before I fall asleep where I sit. I nearly fell asleep milking Athena tonight.

My grandad was shot in the lung at Gallipoli and was sent home, he rode a dispatch motor bike during WWII, caught pneumonia and died as a result.
I worked it out that he died 63 years ago when mum was 17 and my Nanna raised seven girls on her own.

Yakut

Yakut, reading your post made me think of the many many untold stories there must be out there. I can understand why a lot of the old diggers never speak about their experiences and horrors, but there must be a lot more that could have been told. Sure makes you think.

You are so right Toni. I have no knowledge of first WW stories from our family but had an uncle on each side of the family who were both killed. Both by the Allies, one in the Mediterranean and one in the Pacific. Both quite amazing stories and my Dad who was in the same unit as his brother was invalided home a few weeks later as he couldn't handle the grief. He only spoke about his time in the Pacific in his latter years and we have only just been able to piece the stories together since getting their war records last year.This is only in my family so plenty of others must have terrible stories hidden away.