ANZAC DAY 2016 - Lest We Forget!
Apr 24, 2016 19:58:22 GMT 10
graynomad, Frank, and 1 more like this
Post by SA Hunter on Apr 24, 2016 19:58:22 GMT 10
www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/radio/matty-johns-delivers-stirring-anzac-day-speech/news-story/9f72f1221289a361810ebf0943b2bab0
With Anzac Day just a few days away, Matty Johns delivered a stirring speech about the importance of the day on Triple M this morning.
Speaking on The Grill Team, Johns — echoing his popular Australia Day speech from January — spoke passionately about the importance of making sure Anzac Day lives on each year.
Here’s his speech in full:
Anzac Day is on Monday — and it’s a most important Anzac Day.
It’s almost crept us on us this year, hasn’t it? I mean how good was last year; the centenary of Anzac. Movies, television shows, documentaries, re-enactments of the landing of Gallipoli.
We celebrated it, we all cried, we cheered, we honoured and we questioned — and all that, even before the day itself.
But this year, suddenly it’s just arrived and what concerns me is that many historical experts and
social commentators said in the lead up to last year’s 100 year celebration, that we sit at the very
zenith of Anzac celebrations.
They said that never before and never again will we see the emotion and the sense of occasion as we saw around Anzac last year and in fact the previous five.
I’ve got to say that in principal I’d like to say that’s complete and utter bulls**t, but there is that risk that Anzac day may one day, once again, become not much more to the general population than a public holiday and a reason to have a day off, a beer and a game of 2-up with your mates.
Geez you’d hope not, but it will happen if we allow it to.
I remember the early eighties, I was standing in a video store in Cessnock. Goanna Video — I remember the store, I remember the day — and I’m standing there trying to decide between a couple of films. Probably Friday the 13th Part Two or Animal House or something stupid like that.
I could hear a marching band out the front of the store. I walked out to see a bunch of old men with war medals marching down the main street in front of only a handful of half-interested onlookers.
It looked sad, and I knew what I was watching but I didn’t understand the significance of it or the sacrifice of the men wearing the medals as the wearily made their way down Vincent Street.
I mean, how times have changed. The way we celebrate Anzac Day and our serving soldiers in the last twenty five years has been nothing short of magnificent. We’re better educated, we’re more aware and what is represents and to those who snub their nose at it and say it’s nothing more than a celebration of war, I say no, you’re wrong.
For me, it’s a recognition of the sacrifice, of saying thank you to those who were and are brave enough to fight for this country and to acknowledge the fallen and to acknowledge the sons and daughters and the loved ones of the fallen.
We must maintain the discipline of recognising Anzac Day in the manner which it deserves to be recognised. The 100-year celebration was huge, it was special, but that’s no excuse to take a year off, that’s when the rot sets in.
Those who the diggers fought for in far-off their lands and their sons and daughters certainly haven’t forgotten. Particularly the people of Pozières, a village in north of France, where the Anzacs fought the Germans in a horrific battle. Historian Charles Bean wrote that Pozières is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth: 23,000 Australian casualties.
Two friends of mine and their wives five years ago were in Pozières. They went in a little busy restaurant that night where in the great French tradition the waiter was as rude as he could possibly be … until he learned they were Australian.
At that point he turned excitedly and he addressed the patrons of the restaurant, explaining that they had a table of Australians in their presence. At once the restaurant stood and gave my friends a hearty round of applause. Their only achievement? Being Australian.
A year or two later, two young Aussie boys from Queensland are driving through northern France and pull into a service station in Pozières. They fill up their rental car, go in and get a couple of cans of coke, a packet of chips and walk to the counter to pay. As they hand over their credit card there’s a problem: the old fella behind the counter refuses their card.
They try to rustle up enough cash but he bluntly refuses that as well. He can’t speak English, they can’t speak French but it’s clear there’s a problem. They get a tap on the shoulder from a fellow behind them in the line and he explains in broken English, “He refuses your money because Australians don’t pay here.” Again, their only achievement? Being Australian.
I love Eric Bogle’s song And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. It provides the most incredible depiction of war, of sacrifice, of Anzac. It’s uplifting and it’s tragic and Bogle wrote it in the 1970s when Anzac Day appeared to be dying, or at least on the wane. And the last verse is a warning, here’s how it goes …
“And now every April I sit on my porch and watch the parade pass before me and I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reliving old dreams and past glories but the old men march slowly, their bones stiff and sore. Tired old men from a tired old war and the young people ask ‘what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda as the old men still answered the call. But year after year more old men disappear someway no one will march here at all”.
It’s our duty to make sure that never happens.
Have a great Anzac Day.
Lest We Forget.
With Anzac Day just a few days away, Matty Johns delivered a stirring speech about the importance of the day on Triple M this morning.
Speaking on The Grill Team, Johns — echoing his popular Australia Day speech from January — spoke passionately about the importance of making sure Anzac Day lives on each year.
Here’s his speech in full:
Anzac Day is on Monday — and it’s a most important Anzac Day.
It’s almost crept us on us this year, hasn’t it? I mean how good was last year; the centenary of Anzac. Movies, television shows, documentaries, re-enactments of the landing of Gallipoli.
We celebrated it, we all cried, we cheered, we honoured and we questioned — and all that, even before the day itself.
But this year, suddenly it’s just arrived and what concerns me is that many historical experts and
social commentators said in the lead up to last year’s 100 year celebration, that we sit at the very
zenith of Anzac celebrations.
They said that never before and never again will we see the emotion and the sense of occasion as we saw around Anzac last year and in fact the previous five.
I’ve got to say that in principal I’d like to say that’s complete and utter bulls**t, but there is that risk that Anzac day may one day, once again, become not much more to the general population than a public holiday and a reason to have a day off, a beer and a game of 2-up with your mates.
Geez you’d hope not, but it will happen if we allow it to.
I remember the early eighties, I was standing in a video store in Cessnock. Goanna Video — I remember the store, I remember the day — and I’m standing there trying to decide between a couple of films. Probably Friday the 13th Part Two or Animal House or something stupid like that.
I could hear a marching band out the front of the store. I walked out to see a bunch of old men with war medals marching down the main street in front of only a handful of half-interested onlookers.
It looked sad, and I knew what I was watching but I didn’t understand the significance of it or the sacrifice of the men wearing the medals as the wearily made their way down Vincent Street.
I mean, how times have changed. The way we celebrate Anzac Day and our serving soldiers in the last twenty five years has been nothing short of magnificent. We’re better educated, we’re more aware and what is represents and to those who snub their nose at it and say it’s nothing more than a celebration of war, I say no, you’re wrong.
For me, it’s a recognition of the sacrifice, of saying thank you to those who were and are brave enough to fight for this country and to acknowledge the fallen and to acknowledge the sons and daughters and the loved ones of the fallen.
We must maintain the discipline of recognising Anzac Day in the manner which it deserves to be recognised. The 100-year celebration was huge, it was special, but that’s no excuse to take a year off, that’s when the rot sets in.
Those who the diggers fought for in far-off their lands and their sons and daughters certainly haven’t forgotten. Particularly the people of Pozières, a village in north of France, where the Anzacs fought the Germans in a horrific battle. Historian Charles Bean wrote that Pozières is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth: 23,000 Australian casualties.
Two friends of mine and their wives five years ago were in Pozières. They went in a little busy restaurant that night where in the great French tradition the waiter was as rude as he could possibly be … until he learned they were Australian.
At that point he turned excitedly and he addressed the patrons of the restaurant, explaining that they had a table of Australians in their presence. At once the restaurant stood and gave my friends a hearty round of applause. Their only achievement? Being Australian.
A year or two later, two young Aussie boys from Queensland are driving through northern France and pull into a service station in Pozières. They fill up their rental car, go in and get a couple of cans of coke, a packet of chips and walk to the counter to pay. As they hand over their credit card there’s a problem: the old fella behind the counter refuses their card.
They try to rustle up enough cash but he bluntly refuses that as well. He can’t speak English, they can’t speak French but it’s clear there’s a problem. They get a tap on the shoulder from a fellow behind them in the line and he explains in broken English, “He refuses your money because Australians don’t pay here.” Again, their only achievement? Being Australian.
I love Eric Bogle’s song And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. It provides the most incredible depiction of war, of sacrifice, of Anzac. It’s uplifting and it’s tragic and Bogle wrote it in the 1970s when Anzac Day appeared to be dying, or at least on the wane. And the last verse is a warning, here’s how it goes …
“And now every April I sit on my porch and watch the parade pass before me and I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reliving old dreams and past glories but the old men march slowly, their bones stiff and sore. Tired old men from a tired old war and the young people ask ‘what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda as the old men still answered the call. But year after year more old men disappear someway no one will march here at all”.
It’s our duty to make sure that never happens.
Have a great Anzac Day.
Lest We Forget.