Anzac Day

Ron Manager · Apr 25, 2010

Anzac Day was yesterday, a national day of reflection for the Australian and New Zealand troops killed in action over the years. The veterans march to dawn services, but so do schools and scout groups etc. Seeing young kids with their Grandparents or maybe even parents medals pinned to their chests was good to see.

The service I went to was really well attended with people of all ages, especially considering it started at 6-30am....compare that to Remembrance Sunday services in the UK. So, full marks to the Aussie's on this. IMO if the kids are aware of the sacrifices made for them as well as the full consequences of going to war the better for the country in the future.

They obviously get the message across well to the kids too. As Anzac Day was a Sunday, today (Monday) is a public holiday. So we are just about to head off for a drive to the Gold Coast to go to Seaworld. My not quite 5 year old daughter has said that "we can do fun things like this because of the soldiers that died in the war". That's something she's learned from school in the lead up to Anzac Day.

Benfleet A1 · Apr 26, 2010

Your daughter said that! I find that both heartwarming and stomach wrenching. Heartwarming that a child so young could have remembered something like that from school to have such a profound effect on her to liken a day out with Mum and Dad to soldiers who died in a war I pray she will never know nothing of other than in her school books. Gut wrenching because kids in school in this country are positively encouraged to have no national pride and are not taught our proud history and sacrifice.

Bless her little heart. Mine would be bursting with pride. Bet yours is to.

Ron Manager · Apr 27, 2010

Genial Harry Grout said:
Your daughter said that! I find that both heartwarming and stomach wrenching. Heartwarming that a child so young could have remembered something like that from school to have such a profound effect on her to liken a day out with Mum and Dad to soldiers who died in a war I pray she will never know nothing of other than in her school books. Gut wrenching because kids in school in this country are positively encouraged to have no national pride and are not taught our proud history and sacrifice.

Bless her little heart. Mine would be bursting with pride. Bet yours is to.

Yeah - very proud. One of those moments as a parent when you are actually stopped in your tracks and have to check with your child what they actually said to confirm you heard it right.

Credit to her of course, she's a pretty switched on kid and loves school so really takes it all in, but a great credit to her school as well which really is fantastic. Like you say, nothing wrong with having some pride in our part in fighting evil around the world and also nothing wrong with learning about the very real horror of war as a result. At her age of course she's spared the real gory details, but she knows people died.

The thing that impressed me most of all was the fact the older generation genuinely seemed to want the kids involved, that they saw the importance of it.

My impression in the UK is that Remembrance Sunday is a time for mournful reflection by the people directly involved. If I went to a service back home with a 2 year old who (having been woken at 5-30) was tired and cranky and wanting to play on the park he could see across the road I bet I'd get funny looks and tut-tuts from the old dears. Not here. There were loads of little kids there all doing what little kids do in those situations - it was just accepted that's how it is. A small detail maybe but it makes a huge difference and is largely why my local service was attended by hundreds of people of all ages and UK ones get a handful with very few younger than 50.

Benfleet A1 · Apr 27, 2010

I like the fact that the service is at 6.30am The time when the Anzacs went over the top at Galipoli. To my mind that is true respect of what was sacrificed.

By the way, hope you spoiled that little girl of yours rotten for learning her lesson so well.

Ron Manager · Apr 27, 2010

Genial Harry Grout said:
I like the fact that the service is at 6.30am The time when the Anzacs went over the top at Galipoli. To my mind that is true respect of what was sacrificed.

By the way, hope you spoiled that little girl of yours rotten for learning her lesson so well.

Up with the sparrows, drove the hour and a half to Seaworld on the Gold Coast to be there for 10am when it opened (but queued for half an hour to get in). Saw the Sesame Street show, dolphin show, sea lion show, went on loads of kiddie rides, got wet on the log flume had an ice cream, lunch (Dad had a well deserved cold beer) and doughnuts before seeing the Pirate show at the end and headed home. I think she did alright (and I quite enjoyed it too).