Happy ANZAC Day !

They went with songs to the battle, they were young. 

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow. 

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, 

They fell with their faces to the foe. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, 

We will remember them. 

- Laurence Binyon, "For the Fallen"

Hero. Everyone holds their own personal definition of a hero. To me, a hero is someone who stands above the rest, who ventures into danger when everyone else is venturing away, who leads others, who serves in situations most people ignore, who dedicates his or her life to the public, often placing his or her own lives at risk or in the back burner. A hero is noble, courageous, brave, and owns a lot of self-control. A hero is human, but capable of doing or saying things most humans wouldn't be able to do or say.

Today is ANZAC Day, the day of Remembrance for the heroes of Australia and New Zealand. On this day, we celebrate the valour and sacrifice of these two countries' soldiers, honouring their memory and the results of their actions. For those of us who come from different countries, we think about our soldiers, too, as we listen to the brass melodies and wear the poppies. We think of the changes brought upon by the men and women in uniform, whether in the field of battle or on the streets of the countries where they served. We imagine their plight, and are grateful for their service, knowing deep within ourselves that, perhaps, we wouldn't have been able to act like them.

I recognize that because of the misconduct and poor example of a few soldiers, some people hold a negative view of the military. I also accept that some wars have not been fought for the best purposes, and that some wars should never have begun. However, I choose to value the acts of true heroes, and the noble purposes behind conflicts. True heroes wear the uniform with pride, help those in need, sacrifice themselves for the better good, share their supplies with the needy, help to build homes in devastated towns, and shake hands with the locals. True heroes question the reason behind their mission, ensuring their service serves justice. True heroes know when to withdraw their troops, and re-evaluate the mission. True heroes remain faithful to their wives at home and communicate with their children. True heroes rise beyond the call of duty. True heroes respect the customs of the locals, and respect their enemies. True heroes stand up against members of their corp if these are putting the uniform to shame with inhumane or insulting behaviour. True heroes speak with conviction and tenacity, but with kindness behind their words. The Great War, World War II, Viet Nam, Korea, and the Gulf War have all seen these kind of heroes... and it is them who I salute today.

Before I finish, I would like to leave you with the story of this young soldier, Sgt. Dennis Weichel (29). In 2012, Weichel died in Afghanistan as he lifted an Afghan girl who was in the path of a large military vehicle barreling down a road. The children had been picking up shell casings lying on the road. The casings are recycled for money in Afghanistan. Weichel and other soldiers in the convoy got out of their vehicles to get them out of the way of  the heavy trucks in the convoy. The children were moved out of the way, but an Afghan girl darted back onto the road to pick up some more casings that lay underneath a passing MRAP, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle.  The huge armored trucks can weigh as much as 16 tons and are designed to protect the troops they carry from roadside bombs. Weichel spotted the girl and quickly moved toward her to get her out of the way.  He  succeeded, but not before he was run over by the heavily armored truck.

                                                        

Sgt. Weichel didn't die in the field of combat, after hours of facing enemy fire. He died doing something some would consider insignificant. Something that shouldn't have even happened. Like him, many soldiers act without thinking for their own safety. No, not every soldier dies in the field of battle. But, like him, those soldiers that die fighting for what they believe in, who die honouring their families, countries, and who die serving justice - they are heroes. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Happy ANZAC Day !