Lest we forget
 

Hi All

Please take a few moments to reflect this Anzac Day to remember all those Servicemen and Women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in all wars from WW1 to the current conflicts around the world so that we can all live in a free democracy with freedom of religion, speech and thought.


Tony

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.

:remember

and the band played Waltzing Matilda...
:remember

Ganmain
 

Here at Ganmain, ANZAC has been a bit different, since the Boys joined Australian Army Cadets in Wagga Wagga.
The upshot of this is that I have not attended an ANZAC Day service in my home town for a couple of years, instead attending the Wagga Wagga Dawn Service, Wagga Wagga War Cemetery Dawn Service, Uranquinty Service, and finally the Wagga Wagga Service with the Boys representing their Cadet Unit. (219ACU)
The boys both love Cadets and stand a good two inches taller in their uniform. Well today they were nominated to the Catafalque party at the War Cemetary service. Here's a couple of photos.
Attachment 81387 Attachment 81388 Attachment 81389

More
 

Not the best quality I'm sorry, taken in low morning light with a pretty ordinary mobile phone...
Attachment 81390 Attachment 81391

Dawn service
 

Turned up to the local dawn service this morning.
Through the twilight I could easily make out the outline of a Cab 13 blitz parked out front of the cenataph.
It was a nice touch.

That's excellent Howard! I understand how proud you must feel. If we had known, Mrs B and I would have driven to Wagga Wagga to see that for ourselves. Our lad wasn't free to join us until mid/late afternoon, so Dawn Service, parade, etc. could have been attended anywhere we pleased. We haven't been to a parade or Dawn Service in our own town in past 2 years either, for exactly same reason. Next year we will be though, as I think we just presumed having us around for ANZAC Day would be what Bryce wanted. In retrospect, maybe not. Independence is a double edged sword.

The photos are fine. :salute:

How proud you must be Howard.

I remember my first Catafalque Party as if it was yesterday, it was in 1968 and I was 5 days off being 20 years old.

To see your boys doing their bit certainly gives you a thrill. My youngest went to Gallipoli when he was 15, representing the youth of Australia, and had the pleasure of handing the wreaths to the dignitaries to be laid at the ANZAC Cove Memorial Dawn Service. I think there were about 16 kids chosen to help out on the day. We weren't there and although it cost us a few bob, it was worth every cent. He came back with a different perspective on life and has gone on to great things.

My other bloke always drives a vehicle on Anzac Day for me and proudly wears his maternal grandfathers medals, as I do proudly weighed down with my grandfathers WWI and WII medals, my fathers WWII medals and my own.

Regards Rick

Boys
 

Sorry to hijack your thread, Tony!
Yes I am proud of my boys.
There's so many ideas and suggestions on how to bring up your kids, from "Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child" right through to "Belting them into Submission".
I'm not sure of the classification of the route I've taken, but, when I look at the Boys, I think that we've done a pretty good job.

Hi Howard

That's not a problem. I have enjoyed the feedback and ongoing comments, all appropriate subject matter.

Cheers

Tony :no4:

...Nor the years CONTEMN!

Contemn: Verb, to treat with Contempt. :teach:

Here we go..
 

From Wikipedia... extracted from Anzac Day - Traditions, Facts and Folklore: Words of Remembrance

There has been some debate as to whether the line "Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn" should end with the words "condemn" or "contemn". Contemn means to "treat with contempt". When the poem was first printed in The Times on 21 September 1914 the word "condemn" was used. This word was also used in the anthology The Winnowing Fan: Poems of the Great War in 1914 in which the poem was later published. If the original publication had contained a misprint, Laurence Binyon would have had the chance to make amendments, so it seems unlikely that the word "contemn" was meant. The issue of which word was meant seems to have arisen only in Australia, with little debate in other Commonwealth countries that mark Remembrance Day.

Are you sure about that?

A quick search on the internet showed very few hits for "contemn", and a search for "Binyon contemn" has results like this:

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Laurence_Binyon

and

http://www.army.gov.au/our-history/traditions/the-ode

I rest my case (it's heavy and my arm is getting tired).

Chris.

My search shows mostly as treating with contempt or similar.

I didn't even know this word existed prior to this thread, let alone know of it's use in The Ode.

:salute:

By the way, cleanliness is not next to godliness. It's next to cleavage.......I looked it up!