Anzac Day

Ok, so I always make a point of going to the Dawn service for Anzac Day. My grandfather was a spitfire pilot in Burma and India and was shot down but parachuted out and survived (obviously, or I wouldn't be here). I'm usually in Oz at this time of year and go to the big service at Martin Place in the city and it's so freaky, it's pitch black and you can feel the ghosts around you.

This year I decided I wasn't up to the dawn service (s in getting up that early!) so I went to the local service here in Avondale. I took Maya for the first time too which is kind of special as my grandad died six weeks before she was born.

I don't know whether it's the preggy hormones or I'm just getting sentimental in my old age but I literally bawled my eyes out the whole way thru. People were looking at me funny, I cried so hard my glasses fell off. Which started Maya off too. What a geek I am!

Anyways, just thought I'd share. What, if anything, do you all do on Anzac day?

hey its okay Emma - I bawl at anything to do with ANZAC and have done for years. Since I worked at an RSA and got to hear some of the old boys stories. I used to bawl when ever they had reunions for them too. I also was in TF army and got be in some parades which was awesome and have my great grandfathers medals from WW 1.
I wanted to take the boys down for the dawn parade today as it would have been their first but like you Aimee - its raining cats and dogs here and the boys are still getting over a dragged out cold so we are snug inside. I do plan to make ANZAC day dawn parade a part of our family tradition and I so know the boys are going to get soooo annoyed with me about dragging them out of bed so early!!!

Oh Emma you are such a sweetheart. Rob and I were going to go (we are kidless at the moment) But we slept in.

Thats so sad about the vetran Deharn.

I thought it was at the parade in Auckland that the veteran died? Here's a Link to a story in the Herald. I lost it when they played that bit on the news, turns out he didn't really "trip" as such but collapsed due to a heart attack Reminds me of my granddad of course, he fought in WW2 I think. *sigh*

Anzac Day for us is special too I guess. Peter (as a German) is so impressed that it happens at all. It is so important to remember those that have given so much for all of us.
In Germany there are no services of any sort to remember any of the fallen soldiers and although I know we were the "baddies" our men were, for the most part, only following orders too and deserve recognition. Hope I am not opening a kettle of fish in saying that? Basically just wanted to say ANZAC day rocks! hehehehe