ANZAC Day

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is the 25th of April. In WWI that is the date that Churchill – not beloved of anyone on this side of the equator made a totally stupid military move involving primarily colonial forces landing on a beach overlooked by rested, well armed and willing to fight forces from the Ottoman Empire. Unlike D-Day of WWII where some special ops types went in ahead, others parachuted and there were key German locations unmanned – this invasion was a total disaster, became bogged down for ~ 9 month before the Brits decided to cut their losses (again – note mostly Australian, NZ and other colonies). The retreat wasn’t a slaughter simply because the Turks elected to let them withdraw without a massacre.

Most of the survivors still fit to fight were transferred to the Somme…..

Anyway – this particular day became ANZAC Day – for the Australian, New Zealand Army Corps and holds the same place in the hearts of their peoples as Memorial Day in US (without all the commercialism). The fallen of the wars are remembered.

Unlike some of the other ships I have been on – this was a well organized, well thought out and executed dawn service. There was a printed program, poppies for everyone who hadn’t remembered their own, and coffee. Other years, there has been a small group self-organized on deck at dawn. This year there were hundreds attending.

 

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.

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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4 Responses to ANZAC Day

  1. Janet says:

    Amen

  2. Bev says:

    Nice to get your latest report

  3. Val says:

    It’s wonderful that there are now much better organised and planned ANZAC services on the repositioning cruises departing Sydney in April. They are, after all, carrying a very large number of Australians (and possibly New Zealanders).

  4. Lynne says:

    Well done. Nice to see some thought was put into this.

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