On Thursday yet another day for remembering all our servicemen and women many of whom paid the ultimate price ensuring that you and your families are alive and well today.
The British government called it Armistice Day however after the end of WWll Australia and Great Britain decided it would be more appropriate to call it Remembrance Day.
Here in Australia 75 years on remains of an unknown Australian Digger were discovered and entombed in the hall of memory at our war memorial.
The Governor General in 1997 changed the silence to one minute.
All our allies in this shocking war decided to use the same time and the same day for their soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on the 25th of April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. It now commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for their countries. Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga please note this does not include American Samoa. We actually think more of this day than Remembrance Day often described as Armistice or poppy day
When war broke out in 1914, Australia had been a Federal Commonwealth for only thirteen years. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, under a plan by Winston Churchill later knighted to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish Army commanded by Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk). What had been planned as a bold strike to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war. Though the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Istanbul and knocking Ottoman Empire out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity in both countries. This has shaped the way their citizens have viewed both their past and their understanding of the present.
Thankfully these wars are finished but we still like honouring our troops, I think we always will, I know we will in fact. Please enjoy the video and never forget.
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." Lest We Forget
