Eщe покaзaтeльнaя стaтья из сeгодняшнeго официозa "The Australian".
Kaк-то тут дaжe 8/9 мaя кaк дeнь окончaния 2-й мировой никто нe прaзднуeт, зaто дeнь Пeрeмирия (окончaния 1-й мировой), или ANZAC Day...
Проститe, что помeщaю стaтью цeликом - нe увeрeн, что линк будeт рaботaть зaвтрa.
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The last Anzac
By Cameron Stewart, Bruce Montgomery and Jonathon King
June 23, 2001
AUSTRALIA now has only one living link to the battlefield that forged a national identity.
Tasmanian Alec Campbell, 102, is the country's only remaining Gallipoli veteran following the death of Roy Longmore in a Melbourne nursing home at the age of 107.
Prime Minister John Howard, whose father and grandfather fought alongside Mr Longmore in France, said his passing "removes a precious remaining link with those heroic deeds of so many years ago".
Mr Campbell, a slight, gentle man, said yesterday he felt no different knowing that he was now the last Anzac from the 50,000 Australians who fought at Gallipoli.
"No, I've never thought about it all," he said. "I don't feel special. I am an ordinary man."
But Mr Campbell's second wife, 80-year-old Kate Campbell, said she had been dreading this day.
She knows that her husband will slip away a little from her, that he has become a living national treasure, the property of the nation.
"I know things will change," she said at their Hobart home. "I have not been looking forward to today."
Mr Campbell was 16 years old when he arrived at Gallipoli in November 1915. His job was to carry water from the beach to the trenches, dodging Turkish bullets. He was evacuated weeks later after becoming ill.
Mr Longmore died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, with his family at his bedside. He will be given a state funeral in Melbourne next Friday.
His death leaves only 22 Australian veterans of the 331,000 who served in World War I.
Mr Longmore was a digger in the truest sense – his job was to burrow under the Gallipoli dirt and place explosives under the Turks. It was a dirty business, but it kept the young Victorian farm labourer away from the bullets that killed his mates.
"The only reason I survived that caper was tunnelling, as I was underground most of the time," he would later say.
After surviving Gallipoli, Mr Longmore was sent to the Western Front in France for three years. Eventually he was ambushed by a German machinegun patrol near the French village of Villers-Bretonneux.
"It did not hurt much, just a couple of bullets through both my arms and legs. But I am still crook at myself for letting them get me. After four years dodging bullets I got too cocky."
Mr Longmore was invalided back to Melbourne where he raised a family and worked as a mechanic and driver. He led Anzac Day marches in Melbourne until 1999.
But he was wary of people glorifying war: "Don't call us heroes. We just did what we were told."
