Lest We Forget by Laurence Binyon With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free. Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres. There is a music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears. They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered: They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables at home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England's foam. But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night; As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end they remain. They shall grow not old....as we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them Most people say "condemn" rather than contemn. "Contemn" was the initial interpretation of "contempt" and changes the whole interpretation of the Poem if you think about it...
Lest we forget. Went to the dawn service, spent a bit of time with some old friends from the former glory of 3RAR, found out yet another member of our company has killed himself and another is in jail, both suffered with bad PTS. Not marching today, however, I have come home to go spend some time with a few of the old digs down at the RSL. Can i Just add and it may be petty, why the hell do Navy and Airforce guys and people who have never served use the word "digger" or "dig" there is no heritage for the word there, no civvy understands why it is used. We were not allowed to use the expression for years until we had proved our worth. The meaning of the whole thing seems to hold no value any more. Just like so many other things military related. PS: Damn there is a lot of cut lunch commando's(Chocky soldiers) around these days....
The playing of the last post always puts a lump in my throat. I have so much appreciation for the men and women who have served for this country, alot made the ultimate sacrifice for us to have our way of life for which we should be eternally grateful. Lest we forget...
Agreed ^^^^, i have never missed the minute silence for as long as i can remember, i also like the fact shops aren't allowed to open until after 11, good to see this appreciation for the men and women who served and died for this great country, stretches further than just a few of us....... Lest we forget......
i think it is a shame that more and more australians are seeing this day as just a public holiday. the real meaning of it seems to have disappeared. lest we forget.. remember those who gave their lives so we could live the way we do today
Gotta disagree on that one. I think the attendances at the dawn services and marches are getting better every year. Very different to the early-mid 80's that I can remember. Lest we forget.... Reaper
I didnt go to the dawn service but my mate did, he wants me and some of the other blokes to come to the RSL. So we are gunna suit up and go have a drinkies. Lest we forget...
Could not agree more, we were lucky enough as children to get to see Gallipoli before it was invaded by drunk yobbo's. Even at 15 the place was humbling, it is an experience I will never forget. A few of us are planning on the kokoda experience for next year, I really hope we can get it organised in time. Make sure none of the old digs are without a drink. Nothing ****s me more than seeing these old fella's having to buy their own drinks at the RSL on Anzac day.
Lest We Forget..... We are not doing anything today, Craig is working and Cody's school have had a Anzac celebration before school went out for holidays. Years ago I was a girl guide, so we went to the dawn service every year, and it was a great experience. I'm going to TRY to get the boys to be silent today, even just 1 minute lol....wish me luck!
i to went to the dawn service. i lost a mate in hmas westralia fire. i lost a mate on excersies. and a iost a mate who served with me. it's the hardest thing, and in all honesty this stay still brings a tear to my eye. its the hardest one single event i have ever tried to forget.
I'm of the opposite thought. Even with rain forecast it was a bigger turnout that other years at the dawn service here. Minux, with reference to the term dig or digger, i can't say much as i've not served but i have heard different versions of that from many of grandpa's old crew (WWII). Some suggest that the diggers themselves should be the only ones that use the term. Others have said they are appreciative that people use the term with so much respect. Like anything else, it'll depend on who you talk to and where they are.
Kokoda is one thing that is on my "To do" list. I have been to the Bridge over the river Kwai and seen the camps POW camps near by. I suspect Kokoda is something that everybody who wants to should do soon before it is destroyed for good :cry: Reaper
Having served in the Air Force and have a sister that has served in the Navy, I am not sure about the whole "digger" thing. I wouldn't consider anyone that has NOT served on an infantry front line as a digger. The term comes from the infantry that dug the trenches ffs!! Noone I served with refers to themselves or anyone else as a digger.
I agree with that completely. I'm not sure now if i read Minux's post correctly. I read it as people shouldn't be able to use the term digger if they weren't part of the club (you know like how only coloured people can call themselves nigger but whites can't call them nigger)... bad comparison but for lack of a better example! I only consider those you speak of as the true diggers. I certainly mean no disrespect to anyone else who has served but like you say they have the name for a reason.
The problem I have with it is every pogo and his lap dog decide they deserve to earn it for sitting on their fat arses in the Q Store. I served on the front line, granted it was no Gallipoli(thank my lucky stars there) but I did see quite a bit of service with 3 in East Timor in 99. My whole issue with using the term "digger" is that infantry units have an ethic on how it is used and a tradition so to speak. I just get so annoyed when i see cut lunch commando's and pogo Q Store fat arses using it like it is just another "army" word.
That is how I worded, if you were not part of the club or part of the long standing tradition it should NOT be used. I see it as disrespectful. Watching the news through parts of the day made me so angry because every person including women were classed as "diggers". I guess you need to be a part of a unit with long traditions etc to understand where I am coming at with it.
So could i refer to the old blokes who were on the front line in WW1 as diggers? granted it is only your opinion but i don't see how it could be disrespectful. EDIT: thought about my wording a bit. I feel it would be disrespectful for me to walk up to a digger and say "gday digger" whereas i can't see how it is offensive or disrespectful to use the term collectively. "the diggers were a friendly bunch". I don't consider anyone other than the original diggers as the ANZAC 'digger'.
Marched yesterday for the first time in years. I had not marched for over ten years because the units with which I had been associated were not locally represented. Ah, the consequences of the endless re-organizations. However, after a number of years "outside". I have been convinced into rejoining the reserves. So I marched with the reserves in Sydney. I was having a chat with a currently serving medical officer before the parade, who had a chestful of medals. Her reaction to seeing the WW2 returned soldiers with around four medals was almost embarassment because, "I did nothing compared to what they did or went through". That sums it up well. They went to hell, and back if they were lucky, so that we could be free. It was an honour to march yesterday in remembrance of those who paid the supreme sacrifice, and to pay respect to those who did so much but survived. At times like Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, I humbly ask myself, "Am I worth dying for?" That fact that I fall short of the Anzac ideals just emphasises how much I and my family owe to them. Lest we forget.
I took my nanna to the dawn service this year and was so proud when she asked me to wear her husbands, my grandee's, medals. No matter how many times i hear the poems, sings the hymes or listen to the last post, i always find a tear in my eye. Words can't express the gratitude i have for the fallen, who gave it all so we could be free. Lest We Forget
