National Remembrance Day is a public holiday in Papua New Guinea (PNG), observed on July 23rd. This day commemorates those Papua New Guineans who have died in military service.
Most of the history of New Guinea has been defined by the remoteness of the island and the difficulty in mastering the difficult terrain. While the island succumbed to colonial control by the Germans, Dutch and British, most islanders remained isolated from contact with foreigners.
That isolation came to a crashing end in 1942, when the Japanese and the second world war arrived in New Guinea. At the start of the war, Japan moved to occupy the northern part of the island with the aforementioned terrain in the south hampering efforts to subjugate PNG.
On July 23rd 1942, a small number of soldiers from the PNG infantry battalion supported Allied forces in attacking a forward party of Japanese troops at Awala in the Kokoda region. This was a historic landmark in the country’s history as it was the first time, PNG soldiers had engaged in battle on native soil. As such the date has become a focal point for this memorial day intended to remember the members of the PNG armed forces who have died on duty in the first world war, the second world war, and subsequent peacekeeping and law and order engagements within PNG and abroad.
The brave defense by PNG natives and troops is seen as a key factor in the defeat of Japan in the region.
Nowadays, the PNG Defense Force is a modest force with about 2,100 troops covering land, air and marine operations. Nonetheless, they have committed themselves in assisting and protecting other Pacific nations.
With what?!
Bada Bing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doctor: I’m just waiting for your x-ray. Her: But I’ve never dated anyone named Ray. Doctor: And we might do a brain scan.
I know a guy named Stew. He’s a soupervisor.
I was sitting on the front porch watching my girlfriend mow the lawn. An old woman comes to the fence and yells, “You should be hung!” I yelled back, “I am, that’s why she’s mowing the lawn”.
My husband pissed me off so I told him to go call his girlfriend. My phone rang. It was him. He asked to talk to personality #4 because #1 was having a bad day.
“He’s not a hero. He thinks he is a hero because his ear was nicked. I like people who didn’t have their ear nicked.” – The Ghost of John McCain
He mocked people’s injuries, infirmities, and handicaps for years, now he’s acting like he just survived 6 months in combat with a Silver Star and 3 Purple Hearts.
Live your life in such a way that the entire world isn’t ready to throw a party when you get shot.
If you try to correct my grammar I will think fewer of you.
That look you give your boyfriend when he accuses you of cheating and you think he’s starting to sound just like your husband.
They should teach history in school again so kids can learn that people who steal top-secret military documents are called spies.
If Christians read the Bible to get closer to God, what do atheists read to further intensify their non-belief? The same, actually.
Facebook should have a limit on times you can update your relationship status, after 3 it should default to ‘unstable’.
Old guy on the computer: “There’s no such thing as a 3 1/2-inch floppy these days.” Wife: “I think you’ll find there is.”
Today is the birthday, in 1971, of Alison Krauss, bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She released her first solo album in 1987 and then was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss and Union Station. Winner of 1996 Rolling Stone’s critic’s choice best country artist. Krauss recorded Raising Sand with Robert Plant in 2007 which was nominated for and won 5 Grammys at the 51st Grammy Awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSif77IVQdY
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