Bob,
I don't think you will find anything disparaging about the Australian or New Zealand military in anything I write (I spent 15 years in the Australian Army). The reference to the kids still stands. It just is not my style and while Gallipoli holds great national significance I think it has been hijacked by the movement who are there to demonstrate their "Australianess or Kiwiness' as the case may be, to the world rather than the actual event.
I am a nationalist and a fervent republican but let the kids sing Waltzing Matilda and use "beauty, bonza, Blue" in loud voices (which they never do at home) in practise for their arrival at Earl's Court, to show their pride, take a group photo at the Lone Pine monument and hop back on the bus. Gallipoli has achieved something by providing a focus for this pride as Vimy has done for the Canadians.
I prefer to look around without the crowds to try to make some sense of that first day which was a total disorganised shambles costing 2,000 ANZACs dearly in the first 24 hours. Australians tend to forget (most don't even know) more British soldiers died on 25 April and triple our score over the whole campaign - even the French lost more. You will get into an argument in pubs that the French were even there. And what about the Turks who were forced into the war, largely by Churchill, Kitchener and the rest of the crew so the Czar could have Istanbul and warm water shipping routes in return for keeping pressure on the German eastern front.
All wars are unjust, young men die bravely and whether we use their sacrifice to build monuments, make statements or learn lessons is largely up to the individual.
Lang
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