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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Remembering our Diggers

Anzac Day is on 25th April.

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.




Below: This 60 cm x 90 cm framed message, a poignant tribute to the Australian serviceman, hangs in the offices of the Queensland State Headquarters of the RSL.


At the going down of the sun...

I crouched in a shallow trench on that hell of exposed beaches... steeply rising foothills bare of cover... a landscape pockmarked with war’s inevitable litter... piles of stores... equipment... ammunition... and the weird contortions of death sculptured in Australian flesh... I saw the going down of the sun on that first ANZAC Day... the chaotic maelstrom of Australia’s blooding.

I fought in the frozen mud of the Somme... in a blazing destroyer exploding on the North Sea... I fought on the perimeter at Tobruk... crashed in the flaming wreckage of a fighter in New Guinea... lived with the damned in the place cursed with the name Changi.

I was your mate... the kid across the street... the med. student at graduation... the mechanic in the corner garage... the baker who brought you bread... the gardener who cut your lawn... the clerk who sent your phone bill.

I was an Army private... a Naval commander... an Air Force bombardier. no man knows me... no name marks my tomb, for I am every Australian serviceman... I am the Unknown Soldier.

I died for a cause I held just in the service of my land... that you and yours may say in freedom... I am proud to be an Australian.



Thank you
for the sacrifices these brave men and women have made and are still making for our beloved country.

God Bless our Soldiers.

8 comments:

  1. All our soldiers have done a great job in keeping Australia free from tyranny and opression!

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  2. Whilst travelling about 15 years ago I remember visiting Gallipoli in Turkey with a bunch of Aussie and Kiwi friends.
    I listened to their tales of Grandparents who fought in WW2 and admired how these happy go lucky youngsters paid true respect to those who gave us all our freedom.

    Sft (UK)

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  3. Beautiful post Tania.
    Lest we forget.

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  4. A big thank you to them all
    Lest we forget

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  5. I hope you had a great day, I love Anzac biscuits, I want to find a really easy receipe for them x

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  6. Great post Tania
    "Lest we forget"

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  7. We should never for get the horrors of war and pray that we never see them again.

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  8. Hi THere, just wanted to pop in and say hi as I saw you were also from a red and remote area of the country! So "hi" :)
    Love your garden and chooks.
    We were just talking about chooks the other day, love to have them just don't know how to keep them safe from dogs and kids that don't live in our yard!

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Your comments really make my day. Thank you for taking the time and for being so kind.