Hope for the Future

G'day all,

I saw a show on T.V. the other night which had me crying my eyes out at the end of it.

A group of year 12 students, the majority girls, (17-18 year olds) from a smallish costal town in Australia were asked by their history teacher where they would like to go for an excursion, he though they would probably say the movies, as "Saving Private Ryan" was playing at the time, he was astonished by their response, they wanted to go to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day.

They then sat down and decided that ANZAC Day (1999) was to close for them to raise enough money for the trip, so the figured that they would depart later in the year. What they then did was outstading. They contacted people in their town that had lost relatives during the great war and told them of their excursion and promised to lay poppies at their graves.

On lady who came forward was 101 years old, and lost her older brother in France, she had not seen him in over 80 years.

These young Australians then toured Gallipoli and poured their hearts out at the cemetery there, but the greatest display of both respect and grief was at the young private's grave in France, whose youngest sister was now 101.

The part that brought me to tears was on their return this wonderful lady was presented with a picture of her brothers final resting place. I do not have the vocabulary to pay homege to what this lady said.

The final total was that this class had tracked down 90 young men of Mackay who were never to return home, hope for the future, you bet there is!

Andrew.

BTW tomorrow I am lucky enough to strap mysel into the RAAF's F 111 flight simulator, I will let you know what is was like.

Sorry for all the spelling errors but I have been out in the sun all day and I think I fried my brain.

Andrew.

[Vin]

I saw it too, Andrew. Very moving.


Vin

All the Kings Men is showing for the first time on UK TV tomorrow. Deals with the 5th Battalion the Norfolk regiment and 250 officers and men who
were lost without trace (at the time)at Gallipoli 12 Aug 1915. 2 hour drama, should be interesting.

andy

[mike_baram]

Andrew,
Thanks for sharing that with us. It does give some hope for the next generation (at least in Australia).
Anyone who is familiar with Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" feature would come away convinced that the average 20 year old a)has no concept of where Europe is (let alone France) and couldn't care less, b)doesn't know in what century the Civil War was fought and couldn't care less, and c)knows everything possible about Britney Spears and cares very much.
Sadly yours,
Mike

[Vin]

Andy,

This will be a first, Australia getting a BBC show before U K. It was shown on free-to-air last Thursday (11 November). Worth watching.


Vin

[Russell]

I saw it too. Brilliant, and I had the same reaction. However, noting beats being there, at Gallop, as my ancestor called it in his diary. At Lone Pine, in or near VC corner, in 1985 on 24 April, it took less than a minute to find cartridges, belt buckles and bones. After that I went to France, and I cannot believe any one would not be moved to by the experiences.

On a sadder note, we just had a BBC show on Suvla Bay activity. It was atrocious.