Hi o sung wu,

As I have said, even as a pacifists, and as one who objected strongly to Vietnam, taking part in protests etc. I could rationalise what caused the involvement of the ordinary bloke on the ground in that shocking war, all wars are shocking, and therefore held no animosity towards the combatants. It is foolish to believe you can stop war by having all the solider lay down their arms, and that will be the end of it, its to late then.

Put it this way, I say WWII was unjust, all wars are unjust. The standard reply is, "well Hitler had to be stopped", I agree, but he should not have been stopped in 1939 or 1945, he should have been "stopped" long before he ever came to power. What happens if you put a lighted match to petrol? No need to answer that one. What happens if you put Hitler in an unjust society? No need to answer that one either. All wars can be prevented, but they have to be prevented long before the first shot is fired.

I might be philosophical and idealistic here, but if the world was as fair and just as Australia, we are not perfect by any means, then there would be no need for war, and no thought of war.

Paul,

How could we have stopped the Korean War from starting?

Sacrificed the South Koreans?

Anzac Day for me:

Seeing as my Dad served 1957 - 1972 (RAN), I served 1977 - 1988 (ARA) & 2007 - 2011 (ARES) with other stints as a Public Servant (APS Technical).

My Uncle served during WW2 (Tobruk & Kokoda), losing his other 3 brothers there.

My Grandfather on Mums side went ashore at Gallipoli aged 15 in the 2nd wave, survived this and further service on the Western Front. He passed away at age 85 with a chainsaw in his hands, going like the clappers, cutting firewood for his little beach shack on the south coast of NSW. His wife was the seamstress at HMAS Creswell for 27 years.

At age 3, I remember the screams of a neighbour who was just told her husband had been lost in the HMAS Voyager Disaster.

In 1996 I lost brothers in the Blackhawk Disaster at Townsville.

I'm going off to Canberra this Anzac Day to march with over 700 ex Army Apprentice mates who are celebrating the 70 years since the Army Apprentices School, Balcombe was formed.

So to all the bleeding hearts, anti war Wanna Be's accusing us of "celebrating" war, babies being bayoneted, families blown apart by bombs etc ad nauseam, NO we are not there for that.

YES we will discuss things like cleaning our rifles in diesel, petrol, range fuel, washing trucks with Gamlen, having to sit on crowded, canvas covered trucks with everyone else on the truck smoking, not being issued the proper protective gear and how "service" has given some of us cancers, conditions, disabilities and such.

We/I are/am celebrating life, the fact that some of us are not with us on that day, & that some of us are still alive.

YES, some of us will share our stories of conflicts overseas and mates lost and those still alive & share a common history with anecdotes, yarns, & recollections to the best of our memories - whether WW1 WW2 Korea, Vietnam or any service since then, until today - for that is what old soldiers, sailors and airmen do when in company.

Dear o sung wu,

I understand the attraction for many service people of a day to march with pride and to catch up with or remember past mates. Like many Australians I use to attend ANZAC services quite regularly in commemoration. But for some reason I've found myself increasingly being drawn to Remembrance Day as the one when I spend time remembering the fallen and their families.

Perhaps it was my upbringing, old enough to have remembered the physically and mentally maimed WW1 veterans, added to that having a father who served in the Korean war but hated anything jingoistic.

I was in a meeting on the last one and requested a minutes silence at 11 am. I got quite a few strange looks but all participated. There is something very poignant about that poppy. When I drive through many of our small towns here in Victoria it is truly sobering to see the list of those who never made it back to loved ones. 20 or 30 from what would have been a hundred able bodied men. I think of those families who never got body to bury and the struggle they would have gone through without their breadwinner.

I have read of the steely determination that it was to have been the War to end all wars. Sadly it was not to be.

Issy, if your attitude is, all wars are inevitable, then there is no avoiding war, my attitude is all wars are available, Korean police action included. If you read my post above you would understand where I am coming from. Most wars are the result of not fully resolving the issues thrown up by previous wars, the Korean police action included.

Hi ALBIE MANTON OF DARWIN...

I'm honoured & immensely proud to know you my friend. ALBIE MANTON of DARWIN. You come from a fine Military family by the sounds of things. Especially with your time with the ARA 1977 - 88.

The only thing I would caution you on, if you March don't be put off by those 'meat-heads' who's only wish is to denigrate your service, they're simply not worth the trouble. You do your family a great honour too, by recognising their considerable service as well, by your own presence. And Balcombe with their fine traditions that virtually kept the Army going with their technical 'know-how' were truely diamonds in the rough, without them there'd be no Army. Thank you for your support mate!

G'day to you too STEELEREDUX...

I can appreciate the emotional effect these beautiful old monuments can have, that have been erected in honour of the Soldiers of the 1st AIF (WWl). In fact you can see them in most small towns, anywhere in Australia. Unfortunately more and more of them, have been wantonly vandalised, and as each ANZAC Day approaches, some tiny little Sub-branch set about trying to rid them, of these vandal's inscriptions!

You might not know, but one of our contributors IS MISE is a Korean War Veteran, serving with the notable 3RAR. They saw the heaviest enemy action of any Australian Regiment in the entire Korean War.

I do understand your attachment to Remembrance Day, it does evoke memories of all Wars or Actions that Australia has taken part in. Please excuse me if you will STEELEREDUX, but it is necessary to respectfully correct our friend PAUL1405 with his statement about Korea.

PAUL1405, you'll find the Korean campaign was a War, not a police action. The war was fought by soldiers, not police. It's never the role of police to prosecute a War. It is the role of police (peacekeepers) even among waring factions, to attempt to preserve the peace. I thought I'd help out here, with that anomaly. Thank you.