I've been there, and I will visiting there again in 2015, after visiting Gallipoli for the 100 year anniversary.
I wonder what the reason for this thread is?
A book recommendation - Rick Atkinson's 'the Guns at Last Light', the third in a trilogy, starting with 'Torch' in North Africa. The third starts with the D-Day landings, and deals with the western war, giving occasional mention to the eastern front.
Well worth reading, with a lot of highlights, including the death of Theodore Roosevelt from a heart attack in Normandy (you can visit his grave).
I thought the 'Epilogue' was very moving, dealing with the transfer of the dead American soldiers back to America, if the next of kin wanted it to happen (the majority did).
It's an indication of a caring (and rich) country that would go to this trouble and expense.
Remembrance day here on Nov 11th every year. There has, however, been a special series of remembrances this year for the Battle of the Atlantic and even a ceremony to mark the Battle of York.
Remembrance Day in Australia is mainly honoured incidentally. I remember in school being required to remain silent for 2 minutes at 11am on 11/11. Nowadays, I usually only remember it after the event in the afternoon.
ANZAC day is a real memorial holiday. It's taken on the actual day, not just shifted to make a long weekend. And commercial businesses which normally are allowed to open on public holidays, aren't allowed to open till midday, supposedly to allow people to go to the dawn services.
I only realised it was Memorial Day after my comment because I got an email from an American web retailer advertising a 'Memorial Day holiday' sale. How tasteless - I don't think an Australian firm would advertise an ANZAC Day sale.
Remembrance day (sometimes known as 'poppy day' or 'armistice day') is a national observance here. Everything shuts down at 11 am. Radio, TV, transit etc all go silent. Only emergency services remain functioning. A very solemn occasion. Not a holiday. Not 'celebrated'. I actually attended an ANZAC day memorial service when I was in Israel several years ago. Again, a solemn occasion.
Some of those names belong to kids just a few years ahead of me in high school. That war is still a scar on the heart of my generation. I was against it then, and still sort of against it now, though my understanding of what we were doing there has matured a little.
I've been there, and I will visiting there again in 2015, after visiting Gallipoli for the 100 year anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the reason for this thread is?
A book recommendation - Rick Atkinson's 'the Guns at Last Light', the third in a trilogy, starting with 'Torch' in North Africa. The third starts with the D-Day landings, and deals with the western war, giving occasional mention to the eastern front.
Well worth reading, with a lot of highlights, including the death of Theodore Roosevelt from a heart attack in Normandy (you can visit his grave).
I thought the 'Epilogue' was very moving, dealing with the transfer of the dead American soldiers back to America, if the next of kin wanted it to happen (the majority did).
It's an indication of a caring (and rich) country that would go to this trouble and expense.
Oh, of course. Memorial Day. In Australia, we just have ANZAC day (April 25).
DeleteRemembrance day here on Nov 11th every year.
DeleteThere has, however, been a special series of remembrances this year for the Battle of the Atlantic and even a ceremony to mark the Battle of York.
Crusader Rex,
DeleteRemembrance Day in Australia is mainly honoured incidentally. I remember in school being required to remain silent for 2 minutes at 11am on 11/11. Nowadays, I usually only remember it after the event in the afternoon.
ANZAC day is a real memorial holiday. It's taken on the actual day, not just shifted to make a long weekend. And commercial businesses which normally are allowed to open on public holidays, aren't allowed to open till midday, supposedly to allow people to go to the dawn services.
I only realised it was Memorial Day after my comment because I got an email from an American web retailer advertising a 'Memorial Day holiday' sale. How tasteless - I don't think an Australian firm would advertise an ANZAC Day sale.
Bach,
DeleteRemembrance day (sometimes known as 'poppy day' or 'armistice day') is a national observance here. Everything shuts down at 11 am.
Radio, TV, transit etc all go silent. Only emergency services remain functioning.
A very solemn occasion. Not a holiday. Not 'celebrated'.
I actually attended an ANZAC day memorial service when I was in Israel several years ago.
Again, a solemn occasion.
50,000 names. Some of which are my friends.
ReplyDeleteWhat they were fighting against.
Some of those names belong to kids just a few years ahead of me in high school. That war is still a scar on the heart of my generation. I was against it then, and still sort of against it now, though my understanding of what we were doing there has matured a little.
DeleteIt still makes me sad.
JQ
*Salutes*
ReplyDelete