Thursday, April 24, 2014

When our blood stained the sand and the water

Today is ANZAC day, a holiday that recalls that day 98 years ago when the Tommies from the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) hit the beaches at Gallipoli.

Muscle, blood, and valor were matched against machine guns.  Nearly a century has passed since that terrible day, and all the veterans of the Great War ANZAC have mustered out of this mortal coil, but their courage reminds us that the first rule of war is that young men die.  If you have to do it, make sure it's worth it.

Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
will you come a'waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard
as they march by the billabong.
Will you come a'waltzing Matilda with me?


3 comments:

  1. KenApril 25, 2014 at 1:55 PM

    Whenever I hear someone wax rhapsodic about Winston Churchill, I think about Gallipoli. I admire Churchill myself, but I think it's prudent to keep the whole picture in mind.

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  2. AnonymousApril 30, 2014 at 1:48 PM

    Churchill was human, and made a very big, very bad mistake. At least he had the good manners to resign from the government and join the Army to fight in France. Compare that to our "Oh, I screwed up. Guess I'll stonewall for a couple years and then get a nice cushy job on K Street or in some think tank."

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  3. KenApril 30, 2014 at 2:40 PM

    That he resigned and went to fight in France is true, and bears mentioning.

    ReplyDelete

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