> > Dave's feelings about the Vietnam Memorial were
> >also mine on the only occasion I saw it. Vietnam
> >is not a war that looms large in the
> >consciousness of New Zealanders - I think we
> >sent some medics, but "our" Vietnam was
> >Gallipoli in World War I. However, the Vietnam
> >Memorial in D.C. is the most moving war memorial
> >I have ever seen. I can only imagine its impact
> >on those who were more closely involved.
>
> It's sort of odd you should mention the Gallipoli campaign. On my plane flight home from DC, I was mulling over my thoughts about the Vietnam Memorial, putting together the emotions and thoughts that would eventually become this post. But my thoughts kept returning to an Australian song I used to know, called "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda". The only thing I really remembered well was the last refrain, that goes like this:
>
> 'But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
> And the old men still answer the call,
> But as year follows year, more old men disappear
> Someday, no one will march there at all.'
>
>
> The song, of course, is written about the men who fought for Australia in the Gallipoli campaign, and the last refrain refers to the yearly parades held to honor those who fought in this battle. I find it an incrediably moving song, but I never really knew that there might be any sort of connection between it and the Vietnam war, and was wondering why my mind dredged it up while I was thinking about Vietnam. I guess now I know.

Gallipoli was probably the most significant battle Australians and New Zealanders were involved in, for a number of reasons. A lot of people consider it one of the pivotal events in NZ history, in its contribution to NZers considering themselves separate from Britain and forming a sense of national pride. ANZAC Day here is the closest thing we have, in terms of public feeling, to a national day - the *actual* national day, Waitangi Day, is either a non-event or a political football in most people's eyes.

NZ lost a *huge* proportion of its population in both WWI and WWII. It's sad to see the ever-decreasing number of old soldiers at the ANZAC Day services, but every year I'm amazed at the increasing number of young people turning up to compensate. I'm almost certain that ANZAC Day will become our official national day eventually.