Lest We Forget - My Personal Thoughts
The lovely rangerishot did a wonderful post on ANZAC Day, and I didn't need to repeat any of the well voiced sentiments she expressed in it, but I felt I wanted to put my personal thoughts on ANZAC Day and what it means to me down to share.
There has been a trend I've seen growing over the years that is a worry to me regarding how many view this day. Of course, one's view is personal, and everyone has the right to their opinion, but I thought I'd like to voice mine.
ANZAC Day is a rather important one for me and my family this year, as one of my relatives is going to march for the first time since he came back from Vietnam. When he got home, like many returned Vietnam veterans, he was either vilified or ignored. As the soldiers who came back in defeat, there was no support for Vietnam veterans on their return, and they were left to sink or swim by themselves.
Many sank.
My relative, like many of his comrades, threw his medals over Sydney Harbour Bridge into Sydney Harbour, and doesn't talk of his time in service even now. I've seen the devastation that war can bring not only in loss of life, but loss of quality of life, and I've seen it on a personal level with friends' families, workmates over the years, and with my own family, in someone I love.
I'm glad he's marching today, I hope it is a sign that some of the damage has healed. I don't know his motivation for this, but it's the first time since he returned that he's even acknowledged his tour of duty there. I hope it brings him some peace. He's a good, kind man.
So. This is my view on Anzac day:
ANZAC Day is not a day of celebration.
It is not a day of patting ourselves on the back for beating back an enemy in any war.
It is a day of mourning for those whose lives were thrown away, and a reflection on the futility of war.
The nationalistic vibe that ANZAC Day continues to gain worries me - the Australian flags people wave and the celebration of conflict that many seem to think it's all about - that's not why ANZAC Day was started.
The wish should be that our troops return home soon and safely - or preferably that they never have to go at all and that the world can be at peace - not with the condition that they return victorious and brave.
I don't mean to belittle sacrifices made to protect people's homes, rights or freedoms, or those that are oppressed.
I don't wish to look back and judge the validity of every conflict in human history.
I understand that evil exists, that the seemingly sanest of people can be pulled into the most insane of doctrines and actions, and that sometimes someone has to stand against it.
It just shouldn't have to be that way; and I wish it happened less, and that war would never be encouraged or celebrated.
By all means honour those brave enough to be willing to risk their lives for the sake of protecting others, mourn the unnecessary loss of life and the suffering that wars bring, but don't glorify war for any reason - war itself is horrible. There is nothing glorious about it.
Hopefully all Australians think of this on Anzac Day, and hopefully every day.
I hope that instead of celebrating those who have fought for Australia, they honour their bravery and mourn the waste of life caused by an invasion in 1915 - and the death and destruction caused by every conflict - and just maybe they think about how to ensure a future where it never happens again.
Lest we forget.
There has been a trend I've seen growing over the years that is a worry to me regarding how many view this day. Of course, one's view is personal, and everyone has the right to their opinion, but I thought I'd like to voice mine.
ANZAC Day is a rather important one for me and my family this year, as one of my relatives is going to march for the first time since he came back from Vietnam. When he got home, like many returned Vietnam veterans, he was either vilified or ignored. As the soldiers who came back in defeat, there was no support for Vietnam veterans on their return, and they were left to sink or swim by themselves.
Many sank.
My relative, like many of his comrades, threw his medals over Sydney Harbour Bridge into Sydney Harbour, and doesn't talk of his time in service even now. I've seen the devastation that war can bring not only in loss of life, but loss of quality of life, and I've seen it on a personal level with friends' families, workmates over the years, and with my own family, in someone I love.
I'm glad he's marching today, I hope it is a sign that some of the damage has healed. I don't know his motivation for this, but it's the first time since he returned that he's even acknowledged his tour of duty there. I hope it brings him some peace. He's a good, kind man.
So. This is my view on Anzac day:
ANZAC Day is not a day of celebration.
It is not a day of patting ourselves on the back for beating back an enemy in any war.
It is a day of mourning for those whose lives were thrown away, and a reflection on the futility of war.
The nationalistic vibe that ANZAC Day continues to gain worries me - the Australian flags people wave and the celebration of conflict that many seem to think it's all about - that's not why ANZAC Day was started.
The wish should be that our troops return home soon and safely - or preferably that they never have to go at all and that the world can be at peace - not with the condition that they return victorious and brave.
I don't mean to belittle sacrifices made to protect people's homes, rights or freedoms, or those that are oppressed.
I don't wish to look back and judge the validity of every conflict in human history.
I understand that evil exists, that the seemingly sanest of people can be pulled into the most insane of doctrines and actions, and that sometimes someone has to stand against it.
It just shouldn't have to be that way; and I wish it happened less, and that war would never be encouraged or celebrated.
By all means honour those brave enough to be willing to risk their lives for the sake of protecting others, mourn the unnecessary loss of life and the suffering that wars bring, but don't glorify war for any reason - war itself is horrible. There is nothing glorious about it.
Hopefully all Australians think of this on Anzac Day, and hopefully every day.
I hope that instead of celebrating those who have fought for Australia, they honour their bravery and mourn the waste of life caused by an invasion in 1915 - and the death and destruction caused by every conflict - and just maybe they think about how to ensure a future where it never happens again.
Lest we forget.