Our blinkered view of history manifests itself in other aspects of war history. In all the recent hoopla about the D Day landings one looked in vain for recognition that the war was already won by then. Why? Because the Red Army had first defeated the Germans in the battle of Moscow in December 1941 and even more decisively at Stalingrad in 1942.

More than 80 percent of the fighting and the casualties were on the Eastern front. The real military genius was General Zhukov. Yet we get fed endless pap about our role in what was essentially a sideshow to the main action.

Another manifestation of false history is ignoring the civilian casualties of our military misadventures. Vietnam is one glaring example. The current ongoing disaster that is Iraq, a direct consequence of our illegal and ill-advised invasion is another.
It is long past the time that we ceased this jingoistic hubris and looked realistically at what we have done and it's consequences.

Our pivotal role, way out there for such a small county, and one only voluntarily involved, [not our war,] gives us a right to celebrate D-day.
I mean, how many Diggers died holding on grimly at Tubruk, which started to reverse Rommel's previous unstoppable advances, and or, fortunes!
It being the start of the end for Germany?
And while we were not there, on the ground, as the Allies marched into Germany, our Anzac cousins were.
Even so, we were then very busy defending the homeland against an implacable Japanese advance, that was finally turned and for the very first time, at Kokada!
So, we Anzacs have as much right to celebrate D-day, as any other nation, especially those attacked by the aggressor nations; and or, involved in the actual contest for their own purloined territory.
And our role in air support was also critical, and not to be understated by the revisionists.
For our comparative tiny size size, our role was demonstrably superb, and as usual, punching well above our weight!
Rhrosty.

It is a pity that the author didn't see fit to visit the Australian War Memorial online where he could have established,

"..The Memorial's purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. Its mission is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society."

It was the decision of a democratically elected government and agreed to by both sides of the parliament that my taxes are not spent on commemoration of Australians not on commemoration for other countries.

Correction, my last sentence above should read,

"It was the decision of a democratically elected government and agreed to by both sides of the parliament that my taxes are spent on commemoration of Australians and not on commemoration for other countries."

A lot of huge battles were fought in WWII, a lot of turning points, Tobruk, el alemain, Stalingrad, etc. D day was one of those, and celebrating it on its anniversary is fit and justified.

Because it was not the one and only battle does not diminish its importance.

I thought we were celebrating the beginning of the end of the worst war in history, and one we were involved in from the beginning. Some people are very small-minded.