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Victory
in the Pacific DAY
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The Burleigh Heads RSL Sub-Branch Assistant Honourary Secretary
asks:
“Does anyone today remember or really care?"
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The official
surrendering of the Japanese on board the USS Missouri on August
15, 1945
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| A search
of the Internet using "Bing" and "Google"
on the phrase "VP Day Australia 2009" this morning,
August 8th, 2009, just 7 short days before we commemorate VP (or
as some will remember it VJ Day) revealed the following top 10
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" Gina & Mark Dowley Wedding
Day Highlights
Gina & Mark Dowley Wedding Day Highlights. We were fortunate
to be hired to shoot a wedding on the Gold Coast in Australia
- probably an ... April 2009 (2) February 2009 (3) January 2009
...
" England vs Australia 2nd Ashes
Test Day 5 Highlights 2009 Lord's ..
Watch cricket highlights: England vs Australia 2nd Test Day
5 from Lord's played on July 20, 2009. ... By VP, July 20, 2009
@ 7:52 pm. Thanks for the highlights ...
" Radio, TV and Online Sales - Australia
Remembers VP Day Parade 1995
Villers-Bretonneaux Memorial Service 2009; Visions of Democracy;
Vital Systems ... Live coverage of the 1995 Australia Remembers
VP Day Parade and Flame of Freedom Ceremony in Brisbane ...
"
Victory over Japan Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Canberra Times of August 14, 1945 refers to VP Day ... in
newspapers in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia ...
" Scaling a wall on VP Day in Brisbane,
1945 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Scaling a wall on VP Day in Brisbane, 1945 . Location: Brisbane,
Australia ... Uploaded on February 9, 2009 by State Library
of Queensland ...
" Strong VPN Reviews
2009-07-05 ... from the upcoming ISP Filtering proposed in Australia.
... Call Anytime 24 Hours A Day. Sales best to call 10am-9pm
" AAMBS Barbershop Notes
Council Reports: President, VP Membership, VP Marketing, Secretary
Gary Kirk receives Australia Day Honour 2009 Hobart Convention
Registration Opens
" Vyasa Puja 2009 "
APPEARANCE DAY (Sri Vyasa-puja) - June 11th, 2009 for USA, Canada,
the United Kingdom, Europe & Israel; June 12th, 2009 for
India, China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand & Fiji.
" Events Diary
VP Day: Venue ESU. Contact John (Boot) Hatfield 0408 051 085
for more ... Copyright © 2007 Submarines Association Australia
Last modified: 13-Jul-2009 06:18:36 PM
" Summer Day Camp
NWKC 2009 SUMMER DAY CAMP ... - Each day includes integrated
character education lessons, fun facts about Australia (or ...
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A
look at the Sydney Morning Herald, the Gold Coast Bulletin,
the Courier Mail and other Australian newspapers revealed not
a single reference to this upcoming day of commemoration just
a lengthy bitter, complaining story about veterans' and their
use of Viagra.
One has to ask:
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Do Australians
today have any idea of what happened and lead up to the Victory
over the Japanese and the events of August 15, 1945?
Do Australians
today even know any more what this commemoration, VP Day, is
all about?
Do Australians
today really care about this extremely significant event in
Australia's recent history?
Do Australians
today have any idea what their life would have been like if
this event didn't happen?
Do Australians
today even relate in any way to the Australians that lost their
lives and suffered for them back in the War in the Pacific?
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Emancipated but declared 100% fit for laboring on the
Burma Railroad
by their Japanese captors |
Australians, possibly your father and mine, in the Japanese
PoW camp
at Changi, Singapore. |
Yes, this is real - "The Barrack Square Incident"
- On 2nd September,
1942, 15400 prisoners including 1900 Australian, our fathers,
brothers,
uncles and neighbours, were herded into Selarang Barracks
as a
punishment for refusing to sign a promise "not to
escape under
any circumstances" |
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Changi PoW Camp
by Unknown
You can but stand and view the road
Through the lines of rusty wire
The road that leads to freedom
And your very hearts desire
You can but dream of home sweet home
And pray to God above
To help, protect and deliver you
Back to those you love
It does not help to be depressed
Or grouse on grouse keep piling
But with courage look on the bright side
And with your chin up keep on smiling.
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The train from Singapore that brought
the laborers, 40 PoWs from Changi
per railcar
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Hellfire Pass, Burma Death Railway, Thailand - For every
sleeper laid,
it cost one human life. 120,000 sleepers were laid |
Burma Death Railroad: Australian PoWs
line up for their once per day meal of
spoiled rice. |
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AND
therefore, one is left pondering …..
Why
is so little effort put into helping today's Australians remember
these extremely important and relevant events in Australia's
history that most definitely had a direct impact on their life
today? ……. Or do those who are in a place and have
the ability to do this, also not remember or not care to remember
and thereby don't feel that anyone else needs to either?
17TH
May 1943-No.1 Camp-Kami Sonkurai-2000 men bathed,
drew water for drinking and washed their clothes
in this cholera contaminated creek
On August 15, 2009, LET US NOT FORGET!!! |
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