The kids broke up about three weeks ago and go back on Tuesday, Monday being Oz equivalent of an UK Bank Holliday. ANZAC Day is celebrated tomorrow and they get Monday off.
Still with me so far? Good.
Last day of term, at my FIVE YEAR OLD`S skool they held an ANZAC Festival. Remember we`re talking about kids who are five to eleven, in age. Bit like a a Play Skool version of Festival of Remembrance at times, but several old Digs gave chilling stories. One bloke had been on the Kukoda trail in PNG and was caught by the "little yellow bastards", his description of what that was like left some of the adults pale. Not the kids, of course. They loved it. Especially the graphic descriptions of what you can achieve with an eighteen-inch bayonet on the end of your rifle. Old Digger now bears no mallice, mostly, and drives a Jap car etc. Next up was a serving WO II called Norm. Now Norm was not used to talking to infants and tended to shout, a lot.
He eschewed the use of a microphone as he didn`t need one, with a look that implied microphones are for homosexuals. 
Sarn Mag Norm had them enthralled with his( almost) historical account of the reasons for and conduct of, the Gallipolli Campaign. Apparently the Digs in the ANZAC were there because "England, the Mother Country, asked them to come" This stunned me greatly. Here I was, surrounded by kids mostly under ten, and they were being told by a serving NCO that thousands of Diggers were either killed or wounded because" England asked them to come" Norm stressed the attributes of those first ANZACS, the primary one being "Mateship"One skool, in one suburb, but according to the old Digs from the RSL, this is fairly typical across the state. Norm was actually very good( I can still mark a lesson
), and eventually handed over to the Headmaster, or as Norm referred to him, " Les". Now, Les and Norm carried on like a couple of old mates and again the kids loved it.
The whole thing astounded me. Here were kids, first or second generation Aussie, mostly, or kids like Jack. I.E. White North European. But Jack has mates from Viet Nam, Sri Lanka and Turkey and they were just as enthralled. It wasn`t indoctrination, it wasn`t. They were being taught about the country they live in and it`s values and beliefs.
The whole thing had a profound effect on me and I cannot ever recall a similar event in my whole life, particularly whilst I was at skool.
Perhaps there`s a bit of a clue there. In UK we mustn`t say what England did to Kermit, or what Great Britain did round the world as it " might upset them" Here, they say " Eff of home then. If you don`t like it here and don`t want to join in, then why did you come here?" Pause for thought.
The TV news has been full of the thousands of young Aussies who have made the annual pilgrimige to ANZAC Cove in Turkey, despite Govt warnings not to, because of "terrorist threats" Imagine that. Every year, thousands of young Aussies piss off half way round the globe and for what? Do thousands of young Britons make an annual pilgrimage to anywhere that is culturaly significant in the country`s history? Do they borlocks, and why not? Because they aren`t told about it, or if they are it`s from the wrong perspective.
Well, it`s ANZAC Day termorrer and one of the traditions is the Dawn Service. We, as an Association, are represented at the main Dawn Service in King`s Park, but this year we are responding to requests from the Mayor Of Fremantle for a Royal Marine contingent at the Service on Monument Hill, in Freo.I`m very proud to be going. Don`t know whether to stay up or try and get me heed down, I`m getting up at 0330 local, service starts at 0530 and should complete by 0730. Then Paddy and meself will trough a quick brekky before the main parade kicks off at 0930 with a march through the C.B.D.( Aussie for "town center") Many of the Members of RMA of Western Australia will be taking luncheon at one of the citys finest hotels. Meself and himself will be rat-arsed, by then, with a certain former member of Her Maj`s Royal Australian Navy
On yers, cobs
