o sung wu,

Wear them with pride, the ones on the left will balance them.

I had the chance to go to Vietnam, but I turned down the generous offer as I'd already heard enough from the blokes coming back to convince me that it wasn't my kind of a war!

I was in the then CMF so couldn't be sent against my will.
In my Defence Dept. job I was in constant contact with people who were going there/had returned and did a fair bit of emergency training of Fitters, Small Arms, who suddenly found themselves posted to units that were using weapons that had supposedly been phased out in the Australian Army and were no longer being taught.
A case of reality catching up with planning, just like the time when it was decided to rationalize the different types of small arms ammunition as there were considered to be just too many types.

When the dust settled we had one extra type!!

Beach, I didn't address my remarks to you, so get off your light horse, oh! you are so predictable. For 90 bucks I would want my 'Teddy Bear' (why is it a Teddy Bear anyway?) to be wearing what the ANZAC's wore on that faithful morning in 1915, helmet if it was so, and for 90 bucks you would think they would throw in a 'slouch' hat as well. The thing only stands about 60cm tall.

As for school cadets, Beach you did post some nonsense, and bemoan the fact, that they can no longer carry their rifles (presumably loaded) on buses (as if there ever did). As for "Brownshirts" you are the one who wanted some kind of para-military citizens militia trained. Oh yes, it would take the form of a benign type "gun club'. Given as you are to showing your true colours now and then, given to extreme right wing postings on this forum at times, I could not fail be question you real motives for a privately trained citizens "gun club".

Paul,

The ANZACS wore slouch hats or peaked caps or other soft headgear when they went ashore, it is doubtful if any of them had steel helmets as John Brodie's helmet was not patented till 1915 and did not go into serious production till 1916.

The Bear is a ripoff and anyone flogging it for around $90.00 ought to be boycotted.
Manufacturer's price is probably about $3.00 and landed price no more than about $8.00, add $1.00 or so cartage/handling and it's a nice little earner.

Hi there IS MISE...

Thank you for your response, I really appreciate your thoughts on this dilemma of mine. The only comment you made which I couldn't possibly agree with you '...wear them with pride, the ones on the left will balance them...'.

NEVER IS MISE, could my twelve months over there, ever remotely equate to what my Grandfather went through,both in the Belgium and French trenches ! I'm not for a moment denouncing or lambasting what happened in my campaign, as that would be grossly disloyal to my Regiment !

Some really fine, good men....no, some really fine 'great' men died doing their duty over there, and whether you die in the heat of the tropical jungle, or swamped in the cold, wet trenches of France or Belgium, men lost their lives wherever !

I'll stand to be corrected, but in one major battle in WW l, in either France or Belgium, Australia lost more of it's fine 'SONS' in one particular assault, then what we lost in the entire Vietnam war (504 souls) ! You do understand where I'm coming from don't you ? I know you do, IS MISE you're far too smart to miss it. Thanks mate, thank you very much, I appreciate your advice immensely.

Paul1405,

You are all over the place with your creative storytelling and as usual, facts don't matter to the Greens. It is all about ideology and keeping the narrative going. LOL

Honestly, it is a scream when you make such obvious boo-boos, very revealing, but most don't care to comment, considering it a waste of their time.

Your posts confirm a lot that is said about the Greens and the NSW "Watermelon' Greens in particular. -You did say you stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in the NSW local government elections and you call that pretentious serial nuisance and fool Shoebridge, a friend, you say?

You have also posted your liking and respect for the CFMEU, promoting them as mates of the Greens. The CFMEU and Shoebridge have been in lock-step, trying to hitch a ride on ANZAC Day for their own shabby secondary agendas. That is grubby, shameful hypocrisy, but par for the course for the Greens.

Q: What does ANZAC Day mean for the Greens?

A: ?

O Sung Wu,

Go with deserved pride. All the very best.

Hi there PAUL1405 & ONTHEBEACH...

Paul my friend...

It is quite true that School Cadets used to take their rifles home with them, whenever they had something on, during a Saturday or over the weekend. They travelled often by public transport, without causing any alarm, or concern to the public. As the sight of a uniformed school cadet, with his SMLE No1 Mk3 was quite a common sight on public transport. Naturally, the rifles were never loaded, and some schools actually removed the bolt from each rifle.

In fact during the sixties and early seventies it was common to see uniformed servicemen travelling about with their rifles on public transport. Myself, in the mid-sixties, I was on the Rifle Team, and occasionally I'd caught both a bus and train from the Base to my home, whenever my car was out of action (which was quite often believe me). We were using the L1A1 SLR, in those days, and nobody ever batted an eyelid at me. Take it easy Paul, OK !

G'Day ONTHEBEACH...

Many thanks for you kind sentiments, I really appreciate them, though compared to those who served in the Great War of, 1914 - 1918 I'd hardly deserve even a mention ?

How times have changed eh ? From long periods of sustained 'ebullience' together with a sense of innocence' and euphoria, which we all enjoyed, almost right up to the end of the 1960's ?

Whereas we now live in a period of profound suspicion ? With a climate of fear and trepidation. An all pervading dread, and presage seems to be slowly enveloping the whole country ? With an absence of leadership, rising unemployment, increasing debt, the awful spectre of terrorism ? Where to from here I wonder ?

To celebrate the bicentenary of the Gallipoli landing, there'll be no Prime Minister, or other senior politicians in attendance ? Only the Grand Mufti of the 'Islamic Republic of Australia', and his eminent entourage, representing the entire Islamic State and their acclaimed brotherhood. Who celebrate the comprehensive defeat of the allies at the Dardanelles in 1915 !