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Owlunar
Senior Contributor

Our Special Anzac Day Memories

I am sure we all have a ANZAC Day Memory that is special - I would like to share one of mine and hope other people can add theirs

 

This was 1993 - and such a day I have never forgotten and enjoy the memory not only on ANZAC Day but often

 

When I was young the Dawn Service at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance was only for men and women could not attend - but things changed and that glass ceiling had been shattered just that little bit and eventually I decided to attend

 

It was a clear morning when I got up and drove into the shrine - and although it was always easy to see that morning I found it in the dark - not flood-lit as usual.

 

I gathered with others for some warmth from the Eternal Flame and heard the old soldiers telling their stories - when one finished another started.

 

One of the took my arm and said "Come on lovey - I'll find us both a good spot where we can watch" - in the growing light I turned to him and realised he was blind and led him to one of the garden plots where he could sit - and I could stand and see everything above the crowd

 

I can't remember the service exactly - really caught up in my memories of my grandfathers - and the really sombre but beautiful atmosphere as the dawn slowly broke and Venus was bright and clear in the eastern sky that morning

 

Then it took a long time to walk through the shrine and drop our poppies into the urn - and finally outside into a brilliant day - from the shadow to the light. I spent the rest of the day driving around areas where I had grown up during my early childhood

 

We can't always visit the past and it's memories in person because of different circumstances in our own lives - this year - a global crisis has caused us to be social isolated.

 

We shall survive this crisis as we have survived many others - and our spirit shall continue

 

And we should share our stories too

 

I am not good at tagging as people know but I shall do my best

 

Dec

 

We shall remember themWe shall remember them

@Zoe7 @Former-Member @Faith-and-Hope @greenpea @Snowie @Sans911 @Teej @utopia @BlueBay @TAB @Flying_Hams @Shaz51 @Adge @Ant7 @eth @Mazarita @Jo-anneJoy @NatureLover @JoJo73 @Maggie @Appleblossom @outlander and moderators

 

37 REPLIES 37

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

You're a Gem @Owlunar 😸 uh my memories from early 80s Brisbane took part in parade kept having to change step as people in from kept changing step. Can hear older women saying come one you can do it.. like we didn't know how to march lol perhaps she should have talked to people at front of column not much choice at rear haha

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Thank you @Owlunar for sharing. What a beautiful story.
Former-Member
Not applicable

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Thats really lovely @Owlunar , thanks so much for sharing those memories with us all.

I too have a lot of memories around ANZAC day over the years.  Most I have attended with my husband who is a 20-year Navy veteran from Vietnam era.  When I say I have a lot of memories, thats true .. but sadly there are some very bad memories amongst them. Where I am currently, it is definitely a case of the bad memories being much more prominent than the good.  Since I dont think anyone needs to hear about those bad memories 😥 I wont go any further on that.  But I look forward to hearing more of your lovely memories, or other members memories as the day proceeds.

 

LEST WE FORGET

 

Sherry 

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Thanks @Owlunar 

I remember my father taking me to war memorial and talking about it with respect and seriousness, but it was not on Anzac Day.  My mother did not understand.  Here is a copy of Bushwhackers Album.  The song "And the Band Played Walting Matilda" helped fill in some gaps for me about our history of war.

and the band played WM.jpg

 

@Former-Member @Lee82 @Carry @NatureLover @Former-Member 

anyone who feels moved

Please

join in

 

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

My mum always bought poppy pins .....

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Thanks for your comments and support @Faith-and-Hope @Appleblossom @Former-Member @Sans911 @TAB @Former-Member @eth @Former-Member @greenpea @Adge @Jupiter 

 

It is interesting to read other people's stories - let there be more

 

Not all memories are happy @Former-Member  but they are important - we are more circumspect about sharing some of our memories - I have those I keep to myself too - war does damage to families that never ends - this we know

 

I am hoping this picture comes out - these medals belonged to my paternal grandfather who was only 16 when he enlisted in the BEF to fight for Britain - I am sure he had no idea of what he was getting into but he had great stories for us to learn from - tidied up for his first grandchildren I am sure

 

My sorrow is that I never knew my mother's father who died from war related issues when she was just a child

 

Dec

 

My grandfather's medalsMy grandfather's medals

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

@Owlunar and others...

It is different this year but like you Dec I have the tv on with ANZAC stories on many channels. It is a new way to commemorate and remember - but still important to do so in our own ways. I have always gone to the morning service in my original home town with my mum. Her grandfather was in the war so we go together to remember him ...and the others that both did not come back and those whose lives were changed forever as a result. 

 

It is a very special day - one where we can be both grateful and thankful for the scarifices made by so many to have the type of society we now live in. ...and that should never be forgotten.

 

Lest we forget...

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Thanks @Zoe7 

 

Our soldiers - not even just our soldiers but the Allied Forces - esp the British Expeditonary Service - to which both my grandfathers belongs -sacrificed so much so that we - as a global community - we can live now - and maybe this is one of the historical forces that are enabling many countries to come together in this new war against ÇOVID-19 in a world-wide effort

 

I often wonder if my grandfathers ever met because they fought in the same battles in France - they could not know that in the future they would share grandchildren and great-grandchildren and more in their future. It is one of those little temporal paradoxes that give me thought to write about sometimes - and perhaps I should

 

So yes - I have my TV on and listening too and sometimes watching other services of ANZAC Days - and these are programmes I have not seen before - so this is interesting - and moving as well

 

And it is 105 years ago now and we certainly do remember

 

Dec

Re: Our Special Anzac Day Memories

Anzac day poem - Resthaven

Illustration of people sitting and standing

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