Military marriages can be hard but some days we can feel closer to our deployed spouses. This is such a day for us. A day to celebrate the freedoms we have and some sober thoughts on what those freedoms have cost.

Remembering and thanking all the vets today and not just in Australia.. UK...Canada & Ireland... all who are deployed now including my DH and son in-law and my son who had to sit in his wheel chair and get pushed around this week... ORDERS they dont want him doing something stupid and undoing all the work they did on him. (His fiancee and I have mixed feelings about him recovering and deployment ready in a few months.My DD and future DIL and I are so proud and scared at the same time for all of our men if that makes sense)

For all of those deployed....may God keep them in his hands and hold them safe. May we always remember not only those who do their service and return... but also those who may not come back to their loved ones.

They shall not grow 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.

aussieswife, that made me cry. Thank you.

(Sorry to spoil the moment now, but what does ANZAC stand for?!)

SC what ANZAC means is the Australian New Zealand Army Corps... though it had Canadians... Indians... Irish and Brits attached to it.

Created during WW1 and sadly suffered horrendous losses during the war especially at Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.

Allies lost 220,000 a 59% casualty rate
and the Turks 253,000 a 60% Casualty rate though the Turks claim they loss more than 600,000 but records were very poor.

Madness whatever way you look at it.

Thank you AW. Right now we seem to have more war fighters and their families on MB than ever. They make terrible sacrifices for our freedom. We are forever grateful. May God bless each and every one.

Thank you AW. Your heartfelt thanks is appreciated. I wish you and your family the best and pray that your DH and SIL return home safely.

I served with some Aussie's over there, as well as some Canadians and Brittish Soldiers. All were very professional Soldiers and I would proudly deploy with them again, side by side.

Hi AW!

I didn't realize that Aussie and your son in law were back over there... I'll definitely add them to my prayer list.

God bless you and your family.

Semper Fi,

RIF

I work with an Australian LTC here in Afghanistan. He's over 7 feet tall. Good guy.

While always being a sombre day of reflection, ANZAC was particularly pertainant in NZ this year.
3 die in Iraquois

AW did you go to a dawn service? I hear the Auckland service sang the Ozzie anthem.

lil That was so sad about the crash. I'll pray for those 3 crew and for the 4th to recover.

I did attend the dawn service though I wasn't going to .... however my little fella had other ideas when he heard nan and pop come over to collect the others.

yes it was somber.... yet strangely comforting. Very large crowds as well. I always cry a little at the last post at these things remembering friends now lost to us.

They also read Kemal Atat�rk message to Australia from way back then. We have a memorial for him in Canberra at the Shire of remembrance - he was the Turkish general who beat us and Turkeys first president.

"Those heroes that shed their blood And lost their lives. You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side Here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, Who sent their sons from far away countries Wipe away your tears, Your sons are now lying in our bosom And are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have Become Our Sons as well."

It was so wonderful to see so many attend the service and the parade later. Always good to let the soldiers past and present and their families know we care.

Aussiewife,

I have a friend whose W is an Aussie. He lived to be 100 or so and was in WWI. ANZAC Day was a huge day for him. I had not really known about it until I met this gentleman. He was an impressive man.

My father fought with the Aussie's during WWII in New Guinea. He was a career officer and as far as he was concerned there were no finer and he would go to battle with them any time. I grew up hearing that and he was sincere.

Nice of you to post this.


JL