'Til They All Come Home

I've adopted the 6 Australian MIA's from Vietnam - didn't realise how much our own government is relying on others to do their dirty work.

For my meagre contribution : Honouring Our Heroes - Australia

For the best ever SVn POW/MIA sites visit:

Operation Aussies Home / Operation Just Cause

All have many relative links to everywhere you need to go

Pre Vietnam POW/MIA Australian

Footy season is finally here

Come on the Demon's (RFL Riverland footy league)

Come on the Adelaide Crow's (AFL Australian football league)

Ever feel alone in your patriotism?

In Australia we are a mixed bag where national pride and patriotism lie - we are at a loss over our flag and anthem, our heritage comes from the oppressed and family/community values change with every generation.

Wanting nothing more than being branded someone proud of her country with ALL its history and the people who now live here - sometimes i feel like having a big sigh, throwing my hands up and giving in. But our kid's are listening. Watch them this 25th.

ANZAC day and its heritage is what keeps us as a nation together - all of us - locals or immigrants, young or old - the story of war and our men's gallentry.

It's a time where the Aussie flag is NOT under question, republic vs monarch isn't mentioned (cept for charlie's wedding) and colour, creed or race makes no difference. This is the country of our choosing and for Australia and those that died in her name, I will continue to fly my flag proudly

Another lot of kids are signing up to the services with the pride of a nation behind them and the younger ones at the services before the "old boys" want to get outa the cot.

I'm proud of the way Australians as a whole has continued the legacy of ANZAC - we do our ancestors justice. Men and women died under this flag of ours - mixed bag it may be but it is ours.

To quote Sorenson who paints rocks in America of GI's and the POW/MIA's of Vietnam (sorry not an aussie quote but this one has always seemed appropriate to the way I feel)

"I love my country, it is the only way I know how to show the Veteran's how proud I am of them"

To one and all a safe Anzac Day long weekend (it falls on a Monday) - may the reunions be memorable, surrounded by the patriotic and the humbled heroic - I know ours shall be of which you'll find pics as usual later

Stay safe my friends

ANZAC DAY REMEMBERED BY THE NEXT GENERATION

'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.'

The Ode by Laurence Binyon

ANZAC Spirit Through The Generations

The ANZAC spirit is a mightly force amongst us Australians - it's as Aussie as we can be without totally losing our ockerism (for those that don't understand - it's who we as a nation are mostly sterotyped as) It's the very reason why we have such a multicultural country now - Everyone wants to be here!!

There is no "Yellow Brick Road" or such - just people willing to "give a man (oops politically correct version - person) a fair go". What made us a great nation is now living with every generation we can muster/educate - native, local or newbie - Our country, Australia, is actually succeeding in teaching our young in Australian folk law - We came from the oppressed - It's a good mixture of all regardless of race or creed - We teach with a truth that we may not always like - but learn, oh boy ..... that we do !!

There is no hiding the truth from these kids today - the information technology is way too advanced - so we teach the truth (as much as those that were there can remember it - all with Aussie honesty which may mean the truth is stretched a tad!!), and feel rest assured that it's the way of "Australians" - even those not from here can see the justice; the "give a man a fair go"; support the underdog; or the "don't stab me in the back coz I'll be watching yours" rightousness behind our style of democracy - There is no blame, no shame, no apologies - there are only steps forward - Together

Today our children wear the honour of others in their stead regardless of nation or hostility and they walk tall in the footsteps of their ancestors - together as a new nation. They walk tall with pride for themselves because we can here in Australia. They walk tall with pride for their families, their clans, their birthplace - but you can here. We don't call it Freedom - as a nation, we call it our "democratic choice"

We're a proud nation - young yes, but we have fought our battles and can prove our scars - that is the ANZAC tradition - God bless them all for watching their man even if they couldn't understand his lingo, bless them for giving a damn - and Amen to them who make their mark in history for our sakes, even for us generations later.

Seeing as Australia now only has four WW1 veterans left I can only request to those with family who are getting older - record their stories, ask them questions, be comfortable around them because times have changed and you shall find a remarkable history for the telling right there amongst you!!!!

I would like to say as an Australian first, military brat second, and mother, wife, woman lastly : "May we never forget .... or bow down to oppression; The ANZAC spirit lives amongst all of us Australians - young, old, man or woman, immigrants or local bred .... It's where your heart is and mine lies with Australia Their story lives within us, forever to be told, to be lived by, we will continue to fight for the right of all, to stay as a nation that gives anyone a fair go .... Always now though, ensuring that our Lives will never again be taken so lightly ... not by any one or any nation ...."

May none of it be in vain, may we never forget the lessons learnt, and may no losses be for a nation not of his own choosing .... Amen