[AdeptusAquinas]

The meaning of the holiday is not so clear cut. In general its merely honouring the armed services, and remembering the fallen.

To others it straddles the line between anti and pro war (some decrying the glorification of pointless losses, others emphasising understanding those losses should help prevent them occurring again).

[ninguem2]

>emphasising understanding those losses should help prevent them occurring again

Here is something that always puzzled me. In WWII they sent almost all their troops to fight again in Europe (and North Africa) for a Britain led by Churchill. This time, however, they had good reason not to and should have instead be fighting the Japanese in the Pacific which was a real threat to them.

[meric]

If it weren't for ANZAC they would have sent all their troops to Europe again, leaving none to fight the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.

First defeat of Japanese troops in the Pacific was by Australian troops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Milne_Bay