ANZAC Day

Every year, ANZAC Day is observed in Australia. What started as a commemoration of the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps after the arduous and costly Gallipoli campaign has now grown into a national commemoration of all those Australians who have died in military operations. Across the nation (and even in Gallipoli, Turkey), services are held at dawn at the time of the original landing. Later in the day, veterans, children of veterans, active duty personnel, and military and school bands join in marches through cities across the nation. (In Sydney alone this year there were approximately 20,000 marchers).


In the US, I don't think our Memorial Day and Veteran's Day commemorations come anywhere near the scale of ANZAC Day - and while July 4th does, I don't think it approaches the sincerity with which the Aussies observe ANZAC Day.


Much was made of the fact that this is the first ANZAC that no WWI veterans were alive to participate. However, tradition holds that relatives of veterans (of ANY war) may participate and wear their medals in their stead. Here, we see both WWII veterans and children of veterans marching:

More WWII marchers...

The reason nobody is watching the band is because an old WWII bomber is flying over the city.

And yes, the Navy marches too...