Honest question that I'm hoping generates good discussion - do you think ANZAC Day, and the meaning it has, will become less 'present' in the minds of people as more and more of the WWII / Korea vets pass on?
I don't think the meaning will ever diminish. The only thing that is changing IMO is the reason that people observe Anzac Day.
In years gone by it was all about the veterans who were still with us remembering the sacrifice of the mates that were not.
Now, as the number of vets dwindles, I believe that Anzac Day is becoming more of a memorial for the couple of generations of people who were involved in the war. More and more, the march is made up of Sons, Grandsons and great Grandsons of people who were involved in but died post war as well as the descendants of those that died in the war and if course, the diminishing number of vets who go every year.
In my mind, Anzac Day is becoming a celebration of what those couple of generations of amazing people who went through the wars, have contributed to the world. It's becoming not only a memorial to those who died at war but a celebration of the lives and contributions of those who went through war and lived on to a ripe old age, to become the parents and grand parents of us all.
While we still remember those that never came back, now we also remember those that came back and through their amazing lives, made the world and many of us people what we are today.
