Australian Defence Force By Madeleine Tregilgas

The Australian Flag The New Zealand Flag

1915Today

Fighting together, side by side Australia and New Zealand fought and created what is known as the Anzac Spirit.

They shall not grow 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. For the Fallen, (by Laurence Binyon) Lest we forget.

Community Mateship Patriotism Protection Justice Freedom Peace Courage Comradeship Sacrifice C.E.W. Bean: 'stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never own defeat.'

The tradition of the Australian Anzac biscuit started with WWI, when women and children sent tins of supplies to the brave soldiers and farmers fighting for their country. Today the Anzac biscuit is a tradition that comes in all different shapes, sizes and recipes.

Aussie soldier killed in Afghanistan A title that has been in the news all too regularly; But still Aussies volunteer to go, fight and defend.

By the start of WWII people weren’t so excited to join the fighting force, propaganda promoting the War began to appear all over the country.

The ANZAC Spirit was built in the First World War, and kept by the soldiers in WWII. But is it still part of the Australian Defence Force today? Yes, recently a Lance Corporal MacKinney died after a gun battle in Afghanistan with some Taliban insurgents, and yet his companions still say he had found his true calling as a soldier.

One of the biggest parts of study for new ADF recruits looks closely at the ANZAC’s, what they did, and the Spirit that soldiers created. For Australian Navy recruits ANZAC Day is the biggest formal event of their year.

A woman that I believe needs no introduction, after her bravery in Gaza. These cartoons were titled “Julie and Jodie.” George Gittoes illustration of Sargeant Jodie Clark

Currently serving as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Gaza, where she has been for almost four years, she was in the Australian Army for 22 years prior. She truly is part of the legacy left by the first ANZAC’s and still calls Australia home.

December 22 nd 2009 Remembered as one of the many occasions that the Gaza strip was under siege. As buildings shook like an earthquake from shells, Jodie and one other noticed that a white phosphorous bomb had landed under a line of 12 fuel trucks, enough collective explosive power to wipe Gaza of the face of the planet. Together the pair pulled planks of wood from a pallet near by, and carefully knocked the bomb clear. While moving the trucks to a safer position.

Jodie was officially recognised in a letter for her bravery and is also the only woman to have received the Sam Browne Belt. She was also personally responsible for The Guinness Book Of World Records attempt to Fly the most kites simultaneously, as part of a summer camp that included 3710 of Gaza’s children.

Although officially working for the UN, Jodie is very much an Aussie girl at heart. And she proved it, and showed the true ANZAC Spirit when she commissioned the first ANZAC Day service in Gaza since From scrap metal flagpoles, to out sourced poppies, to the Anzac biscuits, everything was traditional except the 8:30am start due to security.

Aussie Slang; ©2000; The Anzac Spirit Arthur Burke OAM, Date unknown, The Spirit of the Anzac Google Images linked to all pictures and images Midshipman James Chinner interview Australian War Memorial, George Gittoes, Keeping the peace educational actives Jason Koutsoukis, April 29 th 2009, After a long wait, an Anzac service in Gaza ai4d.html Interview with Beverly Allen, Jodie Clark’s mother Jodie Clark’s private photos