At the going down of the sun....

[casper28]

At the going down of the sun...

I crouched in a shallow trench on that heck* of exposed beaches... steeply rising foothills bare of cover... a landscape pockmarked with war’s inevitable litter... piles of stores... equipment... ammunition... and the weird contortions of death sculptured in Australian flesh... I saw the going down of the sun on that first ANZAC Day... the chaotic maelstrom of Australia’s blooding.

I fought in the frozen mud of the Somme... in a blazing destroyer exploding on the North Sea... I fought on the perimeter at Tobruk... crashed in the flaming wreckage of a fighter in New Guinea... lived with the damned in the place cursed with the name Changi.

I was your mate... the kid across the street... the med. student at graduation... the mechanic in the corner garage... the baker who brought you bread... the gardener who cut your lawn... the clerk who sent your phone bill.

I was an Army private... a Naval commander... an Air Force bombardier. no man knows me... no name marks my tomb, for I am every Australian serviceman... I am the Unknown Soldier.

I died for a cause I held just in the service of my land... that you and yours may say in freedom... I am proud to be an Australian.

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.


Wherever you are tomorrow, please take a moment to remember airmen, sailors and diggers both past and present who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Australians Killed in Afghanistan - Lest We Forget

Andrew Russell, 33
David Pearce, 41
Matthew Locke, 33
Luke Worsley, 26
Jason Marks, 27
Sean McCarthy, 25
Michael Fussell, 25
Gregory Michael Sher, 30
Mathew Hopkins, 21
Brett Till, 31
Benjamin Ranaudo, 22
Darren Smith, 25
Jacob Moerland, 21 and MWD Herbie**
Ben Chuck, 27
Timothy Aplin, 38
Scott Palmer, 27
Nathan Bewes, 23
Jason Thomas Brown, 29
Grant Kirby, 35
Thomas Dale, 21
Jared MacKinney, 28 (RIP Crash, we'll look after Beckie and the kids until you meet in each others arms again)
Richard Edward Atkinson, 22
Jamie Larcombe, 21

*H E L L must be a naughty word on here...
**MWD = Military Working Dog

[DORA_ANNE]

Amen Cass ..We Will Remember Them

[WTR]

Very touching, Cass ...

Thanks for that ....

Lest We Forget

[shaine]

Thank you Cass, and thank you to all our service men. And service women!

[casper28]

Thank you Cass, and thank you to all our service men.

... and service women

[shaine]

Yes sorry, I shouldnt generalise when i say "men"

[Nick07]

Lest we forget, they are the ones that gave people freedom and shall never be remembered. They are true heroes and I shall forever appreciate what they did for our country and for others.

[anzac_77]

So many people dont actually understand what we are doing in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, thats fine (to have an opinion), but respect those on the ground risking their lives upholding the values we take for granted. I have always been proud of our servicemen and women, if in doubt of their courage, have a good long read about how difficult it is to be awarded a Victoria Cross (and read the specifics of the actions that led to the 2 from Afghanistan).

I plan on visiting Gallipoli either in 2015 or for my 40th in 2017, going to be a memorable experience i think.

Lest We Forget

[Mizta B]

Without them we would not be enjoying the freedoms that we take for granted today
My son is serving in the Australian Army at the moment, I am very very proud of him
Thank you to those that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and may they forever rest in the arms of angels
Sincerely Mizta B.

[Mitch]

Amen to our troops we all wouldnt be here without them thankyou to all past and present troopers or the defence force LEST WE FORGET

[WTR]

This is worth reading ...
http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/kapyong/doc.asp

[SAM-24A]

your link doesn't work for me Ron

[aspir3]

It worked for me.

[SAM-24A]

Well it doesn't for me.

[aspir3]

It just took a while to open.