This week on the 25th of April, Australian and New Zealand observe ANZAC day. It is their Memorial Day to remember their falling, it starts with a sunrise service, followed by ANZAC biscuits, and beer with brothers and family. ANZAC day started as a remembrance of the invasion of Gallipoli, now it is used as a Remembrance Day for all who have been lost to war. Gallipoli was a plan hatched by Winston Churchill the first lord of the admiralty in WWI. I had the privilege of spending an ANZAC day in Perth a couple of years back, and it was amazing to see how close we are to our allies in the pacific. So, on the 25th April raise a glass to all of our brothers that have helped support us in everything we have done and helped promote freedom in the world. The ANZACs are the only countries that have been with the U.S. in every war we have fought since WW1, to include Vietnam and the Global War on Terror.
ANZAC is the acronym formed from the initial letters of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This was the formation in which Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Egypt were grouped before the landing on Gallipoli in April 1915.
The acronym was first written as “A & NZ Army Corps.” However, clerks in the corps headquarters soon shortened it to ANZAC as a convenient telegraphic code name for addressing telegram messages.
I can never do justice telling the story of Gallipoli. Like most of WW1 and other battles, a lot of mistakes were made in the planning, but they were followed up by a lot of brave man doing whatever they had to do so their brothers would live another day. Long Live the Brotherhood.
www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/resources/understanding-gallipoli
nzhistory.govt.nz/war/the-gallipoli-campaign/introduction
Lest We Forget
Australians have something called Anzac Spirit which is hard to define, often joked about, but very tangible and real when it matters. Part of it is a good mix of humor, resolve, anti authoritarianism and guile, and is good stuff to build a nation around.