Lest Aussies Forget…

… Like American’s have.

Today is ANZAC day. What is ANZAC day? Well, “ANZAC” is Aussie, it stands for: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Remember, unlike us, they are still part of the British Empire… OH… wait… I’m sorry… that is not politically correct… I mean… “Commonwealth of Nations”.


Australia Day, which was in January, was a celebration of the 7 states and territories being unified into one nation in 1901. On the 25th day of April, 1915, the fairly new nations of Australia and New Zealand, as part of allied assault, where led to a slaughter by the Turks on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The campaign was a brutal blood bath of a failure. The true tragedy is not that they were defeated by the Turks; they were defeated by their own commanders (bloody Red Coats). It was a slaughter that with better planning could have been avoided. So why celebrate it?

For this reason: it was the first time both these nations appeared on an international stage and declared, “we are here… and we are willing to kick your arse!”

ANZAC day, though originally in memorial of the specific battle of Gallipoli, has grown to include celebrating and giving tribute to the memory of ALL of Australia and New Zealand’s fallen heroes.

To try to make a comparison of the magnitude of today for a Yankee…

Picture in your mind… a day in which we not only celebrated the War of 1812 (which was arguably our first appearance to the world in such a manner after the revolution); but also a day which combined Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and to some degree Pearl Harbor Day.

That’s right, I mentioned the War of 1812, how many of you know what that was about?

I mentioned Memorial Day… how many of you can tell me why we have chosen the last Monday of May for that?

I mentioned Veteran’s day… anyone know why 11 November is important to Veterans? Or was that date randomly chosen because it fit well in between Halloween and Thanksgiving?

How many people without thinking of a Michael Bay movie with Ben Affleck can tell me what day Pearl Harbor was bombed?

ANZAC day is not just a meaningless memorial on the Australian calendar. There where celebrations in towns all across the country today where they remembered those who fell in service of their country. One thing I’ve noticed in my time here, is that just about every town no matter how big or small, at the very center has a memorial/monument dedicated to the ANZACs of WWI, WWII, and the conflicts that followed.

My brother-in-law just got back from Iraq, and I have a few of you friends there or in Afghanistan right now. I know you are there, I pray for you. I either want you to be home, or I want to be with you in the gulf. Mainly though, I want you home. But, above that, I want you to successfully do your duty to country. That is why I am proud and honored to call you friends.

It pisses me off how little we as a nation look back on our own military heroes. We are the World Leaders. Do you realize that? Think about it for a second. WE pay for most of the United Nations budget. WE are a member of nearly every treaty organization. And WE police the world.



For those of you who disagree with us doing this… It is the way it is. We are the ones with the POWER to do something, and as Edmund Burke said, “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do NOTHING”. So for my pacifist friends amongst you who bitch and moan… guess what, the same military that you criticize… is the EXACT SAME military that allows you the first amendment right to criticize. Therefore I will not tell you to shut up since I will soon be enlisting to defend your right to say whatever you want, but out of professional courtesy, I ask that you give some thought to your words.


I think the old World War II era poster is quite applicable to today’s Media:


I agree, we should not be the school yard bully that pushes the little guy around, I think we should be the guy who hangs out with the little guy to make sure the other bullies don’t push him around.

I am not Australian, I am a proud American, but… in our gang of friends who helps us look out for the little guys on the playground… besides the ol’ Empire we sprung from of course… Australia is by far one of (if not our best) Allie not simply from WWI and WWII, not simply during the “police action” in Korea, or the “conflict” to block the spread of communism in Vietnam… but also! In our current War on Terror.

Regardless of the situation, we in America could ALWAYS count on the ANZACs to have our back in a pub brawl. They always have been, and I very much hope always WILL be in our corner.

We in the United States of America, owe a great deal to our younger sister in the south, the Commonwealth of Australia.

So, although I plan to enlist into the same Navy that gave the Red Coats a beating in the end of the 18th century… I am more than happy to salute the men who have lost their lives in Her Majesty’s Service as part of the former British Empire’s Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.; Royal Australian and New Zealand Air Force; and of course, Royal Australian and New Zealand Navys.

Happy ANZAC Day Mates!