Triple M Brisbane and State Library of Queensland pay tribute to Australia's armed forces this Remembrance Day
On November 11, who will you stop to remember? This is the question being asked by Triple M Brisbane and State Library of Queensland in a partnership aimed to remind people about the significance of this important day, and the people it honours.
Already an important campaign by State Library, Who will you stop to remember? tells the stories of Queensland's armed forces, with a curated collection from WW1, WW2 and post 1945. Triple M jumped at the chance to support and will showcase these stories on air over the next week.
In addition, each of the stories will be available via Smart Speakers (Hey Google, Ask Anzac Stories), with the voices of Marto & Margaux from The Big Breakfast guiding users through the different stories, or offering to send reminders for the minute of silence observed on November 11. It's a move that showcases the latest in technology – just ask Amazon Alexa " or Google Assistant to "Ask Anzac Stories" and follow the prompts.
"On 11 November 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. With their armies retreating and close to collapse, German leaders signed an Armistice, bringing an end to the First World War," said Triple M's Greg 'Marto' Martin. "On 11 November at 11am every year since, millions of Australians stand still for one minute of silence to mark Remembrance Day – a quiet moment held in honour of those who have died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts. It's a powerful minute across the nation."
Wherever you are, State Librarian and CEO Vicki McDonald am encouraged Queenslanders to stop and reflect this Remembrance Day. "State Library holds images, diaries, letters, posters, personal items and stories about the Queensland experience at war and on the home front," Ms McDonald said. "We carefully preserve our collections to keep these memories safe and accessible for future generations. You can discover this important history by using your voice assistant, visiting Anzac Square Memorial Galleries in Brisbane, or exploring our blogs and digital collections online," Ms McDonald said. "You can even have a poppy placed in the galleries on your behalf — just "Ask Anzac Stories" to arrange."
Captain Andrew Craig OAM, RAN (Rtd) is featured in the campaign. He is a former naval officer and helicopter pilot, who served with the Royal Australian Navy from 1958-1988; he served at sea on HMAS Vendetta during the Indonesian Confrontation, and was deployed to Vietnam with 9 Squadron, RAAF, RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam, and commanded the 817 Naval Air Squadron.
On 13 June 1968, whilst transporting Australian battalions north in Vietnam, Craig and his crew were injured when their helicopter was 'hit by a round from the ground', which sent his helicopter into an uncontrolled spiral dive. It crashed through the jungle canopy and came to rest in a level position. The crew managed to extract themselves from the wreck and, after spending time alone in enemy-occupied territory, were winched to safety by a US Army medevac helicopter.
Marto and Margaux have had Captain Craig into the studio to share his story in more detail. In more recent times, Captain Craig has served as Chair on the Queensland Advisory Committee for the Commemoration of the Anzac Centenary (QACCAC) of World War I, 2014-2018 and is the current President of Legacy Brisbane.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries, located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance in Brisbane CBD, is open Sunday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, for visitors wishing to explore the free exhibition or place a poppy in honour of Queensland-associated battalions, regiments and other units.
See more here: anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/commemorate/commemorate-remembrance-day
About Triple M:
After 40 years, Triple M continues to be one of Australia's best-known radio entertainment brands and the only radio network that provides its listeners with a unique combination of Rock's Greatest Hits, Sport and Comedy. With 49 stations across Australia, including five digital stations, Triple M Soft Rock, Triple M Classic Rock, Triple M Country, Triple M Hard N Heavy and Triple M 90s, Triple M has become known for playing Rock's Greatest Hits, and its iconic talent and shows that get people talking.
The iconic brand entertains more than 3.7 million radio listeners each week and is home to some of Australia's biggest sporting heroes, comedians and music gurus including Mick Molloy, Marty Sheargold Basil Zemplias, Lawrence Mooney, Mark Geyer, Gus Worland, Jess Eva, Margaux Parker, Wendell Sailor, Ryan Girdler, Peter Sterling, Luke Darcy, James Brayshaw, Billy Brownless, Gorden Tallis, Greg Martin, Dennis Cometti, Mark Ricciuto, Chris Dittmar and Andrew Jarman to name just a few!
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