NationStates Jolt Archive

As an American with many, many friends from down under, I salute the ANZACs and ask all who read this to give a moment of silent reflection on the regretfulness of war.


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.

Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.

And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.

And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.

For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.

So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.

But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.

And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.

But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?


http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/Anzac/images/pop.jpg

(The local Aussie/Kiwi ANZAC celebration here in Osaka was today - tomorrow's a working day in Japan. A good time was had with my mates. Thank you.)

Great and noble soldiers. God bless them all.

We WILL remember them!

lest we forget.

And here's a good explanation of ANZAC day for anyone unfamiliar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_Day

(I've been attending the local ANZAC day event for many years. The minute of silence never fails to bring me to tears.)

And here's a good explanation of ANZAC day for anyone unfamiliar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_Day

(I've been attending the local ANZAC day event for many years. The minute of silence never fails to bring me to tears.)
indeed the playing of the last post is very emotional

(I've been attending the local ANZAC day event for many years. The minute of silence never fails to bring me to tears.)

There's something really special about that one minute where everyone just bands together....i've been to the Dawn Service every year since i was born. Never missed one.

indeed the playing of the last post is very emotional

And I'm always amazed by the mix of solemn respectfulness and jubulant nationality. The various bands at the bar played everything from AC/DC to Waltizing Matilda, with "And The Band Played Waltizing Matilda" and "I Was Only 19" as well.

I just hope that the next time someone talks during the minute of silence I can restrain from knocking them out

I find it amazing how they so readily fought in a war which wasnt anything to do with them

As an American with many, many friends from down under, I salute the ANZACs and ask all who read this to give a moment of silent reflection on the regretfulness of war.

by the way it is appreciated

And I'm always amazed by the mix of solemn respectfulness and jubulant nationality. The various bands at the bar played everything from AC/DC to Waltizing Matilda, with "And The Band Played Waltizing Matilda" and "I Was Only 19" as well.

I love that song. It gives me shudders down my spine.

I just hope that the next time someone talks during the minute of silence I can restrain from knocking them out
lol, nice. I went to a benefit concert for the victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami, and someone yelled out something stupid during the minutes silence, and he got jumped by 5 or 6 guys, held down until the minute of silence was over, and then got the crap beaten out of him. Idiot.

lol, nice. I went to a benefit concert for the victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami, and someone yelled out something stupid during the minutes silence, and he got jumped by 5 or 6 guys, held down until the minute of silence was over, and then got the crap beaten out of him. Idiot.
what he deserved in my opinion

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row
that mark our place, and in the sky the larks still bravely singing fly
scarce heard among the guns below. We are The Dead. Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset's glow, loved and were loved,
and now we lie, in Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe, to you from failing hands we throw
The Torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die
we shall not sleep, though poppies grow, in Flanders fields.


The Reply
Fear not that you have died for naught;
The Torch you threw to us, we caught
and now our hands will hold it high.
It's glorious light shall never die.
We'll not break faith with you who lie,
in Flanders fields.


Lest we forget.

Wow its pretty cool that you would do this i didnt think anyone cared!

I salute the brave ANZACs

I find it amazing how they so readily fought in a war which wasnt anything to do with them
Ah yes but as a Dominion/s of Britain it did have something to do with us
besides they declared war for NZ anyway as was their right.

New Zealand had no idea what they were getting themselves into thinking it would be like the Boer war 12 months service then you go home!

Two-ups anyone?

Ah yes but as a Dominion/s of Britain it did have something to do with us
besides they declared war for NZ anyway as was their right.

New Zealand had no idea what they were getting themselves into thinking it would be like the Boer war 12 months service then you go home!

But Britain had no reason to get into it either... WWI was BS and the deaths were shameful* (*the fact that people died, not them dying). But I won't start an argument about that here.

*stands in silence*

Two-ups anyone?
Why not a favourite pass time of the diggers(even if it was illegal)! :D

But Britain had no reason to get into it either... WWI was BS and the deaths were shameful* (*the fact that people died, not them dying). But I won't start an argument about that here.

*stands in silence*
Yeah Britain dint like the idea of sharing its Trade wealth with Germany(that is WWI)

Why not a favourite pass time of the diggers(even if it was illegal)! :D

It still is illegal 364 days each year. ;)

I don't want to do my university work today, it feels, sacreligious...

..but I have to or I will fail. :(

Yeah Britain dint like the idea of sharing its Trade wealth with Germany(that is WWI)

No I mean the entire war.

There was no reason for it to start. It could've been just a war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. But everyone else had to get involved. Millions died for practically nothing!

As admirable as it is that people died for their country, they did not die for freedom, as many ignorant claim. They just died, which is sad. Also, The world probably would have been better had Germany won WWI (no WWII comes to mind...)

No I mean the entire war.

There was no reason for it to start. It could've been just a war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. But everyone else had to get involved. Millions died for practically nothing!

As admirable as it is that people died for their country, they did not die for freedom, as many ignorant claim. They just died, which is sad. The world probably would have been better had Germany won WWI (no WWII comes to mind...)

The only reason this war involved other nations is the series of secret treaties that were much more common back in those days. This was a war that could have, and should have been averted.

[edit]As for WWII, it could have been avoided had the allies either crushed Germany so they could never rise again as a military power (as most of Europe wanted), or be treated leniently (as America/Woody Wilson wanted) so Germany would hold no grudges. It was the failure to do one or the other that created the situation in the 1930's Weimar republic that allowed Hitler to rise to power.

The only reason this war involved other nations is the series of secret treaties that were much more common back in those days. This was a war that could have, and should have been averted.

Exactly. Couldn't agree more!

Edit: I agree with your edit mostly, But I think the first option would have been worse in the long run. WWII would've happened, only later. And it would have been all revenge.

No I mean the entire war.

There was no reason for it to start. It could've been just a war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. But everyone else had to get involved. Millions died for practically nothing!

As admirable as it is that people died for their country, they did not die for freedom, as many ignorant claim. They just died, which is sad. Also, The world probably would have been better had Germany won WWI (no WWII comes to mind...)

so much for not starting an argument

oh yeah by the way, if your not at the service, abc radio 774 is alot better that the tv, it just is

so much for not starting an argument

I wasn't trying to. As I said in my first post in this thread, I support the memorial for it. I'm just saying that WWI was preventable and that there was really no need for these fine men to die. However, they did, and they will always be remembered.

And here's a good explanation of ANZAC day for anyone unfamiliar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_Day

(I've been attending the local ANZAC day event for many years. The minute of silence never fails to bring me to tears.)
Thank you for the exaplanation.

It's basically the australian rembemberance day (in Canada) then.

And now the other thread makes sense too.

Takuma Britain and Germany were on shakey ground before WWI over trade.
Britains Declaration was in support of Belgium(God knows why they care/d about that half nation).
It is Serbia's fault.

Yeah Pat it is illegal but the Soldiers wernt meant to play it at all-didnt stop them anyways!

Thank you for the exaplanation.

It's basically the australian rembemberance day (in Canada) then.

And now the other thread makes sense too.

But it is so much more than rememberence day (11/11 at 11am), it is a nation building experience for Australia, New Zealand and Turkey (thanks to General Attaturk).

Takuma Britain and Germany were on shakey ground before WWI over trade.
Britains Declaration was in support of Belgium(God knows why they care/d about that half nation).
It is Serbia's fault.

That's true, but as I keep saying, all out war was not nessicary. Britain and Germany could've worked things out through diplomacy, and Austria-Hungary could've just crushed Serbia after the assassination. Everything else started because stupid France declaired war on Austria-Hungary. It was all France, thought they suffered enough damage to call it even.

Edit: It's been a year since WWI history: The basic idea is whoever declaired war on Austria-Hungary is the idiot.

Edit: It's been a year since WWI history: The basic idea is whoever declaired war on Austria-Hungary is the idiot.
Yeah!

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/Anzac/images/pop.jpg



I went to find a pic of a poppy to post, without realising it was the same one posted at the top :eek:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/Gallery/Anzac/images/pop.jpg



I went to find a pic of a poppy to post, without realising it was the same one posted at the top :eek:


:D