and at the setting of the sun, we will rember

ok so if you read this (if any one actuly reads what i wirte) i guess this will be a bit of a part II.

back in april i wrote of my experinces of anzac day in a foreign land. now i am back home, we had our second day for remberance, Remberance day.

well if you read my face book today it was bombarded with two peices of "poetry" from my hand.

Gonzo McCoy today at 11am i watched the clock tick over, i stood in a busy shopping center, as the last post played and watched people walk around, chat amongst them selves, and generally ignore what was happening. a few stood still, silent, quietly reflecting on what has been.

i ask... those who didn't stop and wait, have you forgotten?

 Gonzo McCoy as the world continues to turn, we pause, we reflect, we remember, not just today but every day, that there are those out there who continue to give and to serve. in peace time and in war time, we will remember them,

Lest We Forget

 

both of these postings elecited fairly strong responses from my friendship list. not so much heat on twitter, but they were still posted.

 remembrance day is the day where most of the Allies, who Australia has fought alongside, remember their fallen dead. why? well because today is the day when the First world war ended. i find it a bit sad that many people cannot find the time to turn out for the marches and services in the city and in the local communities around Anzac day or observe a simple minutes silence at 11:00 am. and i don't feel that "i was caught up in my computer" is an acceptable excuse. i actually deliberately did not go to the local service. i wanted to go and see how every day people responded to this day. i was in target at the time. some of the store hands continued on working, a few customers continued to chat on their phones, and a large number of people in the main shopping centre conitnued about their days. but the most beatiful thing is the people who just stoped. where they were, to reflect. they stood isolated as the world bustled by them. i wish i could have captured it in a photo but i am not that good a photographer, as others bustled past them, they just stood there, one man i saw almost moved to tears. cashiers were told off for trying to continue to work, and staff were told to stop and wait, just for a minute. well here is the sad bit. the majority of the people who i saw who chose not to stop and wait, were young people. there were a few who stoped and understood why they were standing still. but many continued on.

 both of my grandfathers served in WWII, my paternal grandmother was directly affected by WWI, and that gives me a personal cnnection. i spend each Anzac day giving my time to ensure that we will rember and that we will not forget.

i wonder thou.

as the number of vetrans slowly reduce, the number of people in the RSL continue to dwindle, i wonder if the day will come when only those left to rember will be those who are comitted to rembering. i will continue to be invovled and i hope to ensure that i, and if i am every lucky enough to have kids, they will also rember and i will continue to be invovled.

and here is the most controversial thing i will write here. i think alot of people (not nessacaily my friends but some of my peers) only truly appreciate anzac day becaue it is a public holiday.

 i will borrow some words here. the come from a friends mother, from face book

A veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to their country for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact.

i will leave you here with some one elses words. they sum it up. its the ode, and i will memorise it one day. but please think abuot it. this is not a glorification of war. this is a call to my peers and those arround me to rember what was given so that we may have our liberties

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

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 condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

untill next time

Richard "Gonzo" McCoy