| Crypt message 2010 |
 |
 |
|
The following speech was made by our President, Gordon Wallace at the Crypt in Brisbane on ANZAC Day 2010. This morning as we meet to pay homage to the men of the three Fifteenth Battalions here at the memorial plaques in this sacred place, the making of the film Under Hill 6o keeps running through my mind in conjunction with the reminder of reburial of our dead at Fromelles. A battle little heard of, but a place of slaughter for so many Australians. I see the photo of children making poppy wreaths which they are going to end to school children in France to be placed on Australian graves near their village. As well I am reminded of the effect World War One had on our country, and also I am reminded of the interest in those cemeteries in Europe, at Gallipoli, and the Middle East. It leads you to wonder how a small nation like ours was ever able to sustain the loss of so many young men. Those who returned were the fathers of the next generation of young Australians to go to the aid of the Empire and this time many young women as well. Here we honour the fallen of those two wars and the lost from Korea, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Borneo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and so many places where as UN peacekeepers, our fellows always performed as good as the best, and better than most. So to the world at large at times we must seem to be a nation of warriors. So strange from a country as laid back as we are, politically apathetic, and with this ‘If it’s not broke, why fix it’ attitude. Now we are another ally, instead of the empire, and yet we still display the loyalty, the pride of country, and also the willingness to have a go. We admire and support our sporting champions but, we honour our dead. Should we not also respect our living service people, because some day some of them will become our honoured dead? Just a thought on this day of honouring the fallen.
Gordon Wallace 25 April 2010
|
| Last Updated on Saturday, 19 June 2010 19:23 |