ANZAC

Firstly - About the Wooly Bears - well yesterday, I happened to come across a whole bunch of the damn things. And apparently they are "D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S", or at least so I'm told. They don't bite - but they make you itch. Hmmm - well I'm not so sure about that. But I'm not about to test that idea either. Anyways - they're all gone now - we got out the big can of Baygon and took care of that.

I need to also point out - I'd never heard of the Gilis before I got here (Balikpapan) either. But trust me, if you ever get the chance it's worth it. 100%.

Ok, now on to the ANZAC stuff. For starters ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Yesterday, the BIWA group did a coffee/information thing up on the Ridge (Pasir Ridge) in commemoration of ANZAC Day that's coming up. (April 25th) ANZAC Day is kinda of like a Remembrance - Memorial Day sort of thing.

How does Balikpapan factor into all of this? There is a connection in all of this (see below). I should also point out there's quite a bit of military remnants left up on the Ridge (the Ridge was a major vantage point) - including a very large suspected mass grave.

In 1945, Australian forces launched three military actions against Japanese-held Borneo: at Tarakan, at Labuan-Brunei Bay and at Balikpapan. These were the biggest and final Australian campaigns of World War II.

In the early hours of Sunday, 1 July 1945, over 150 ships were gathered off the southwest Borneo coast. On board were 30,000 Australian troops. They were preparing to participate in Operation Oboe2, an amphibious invasion on the town of Balikpapan, which was the second largest oil producing area in the Dutch East Indies.

The large refineries had been supplying the Japanese military in the southwest Pacific with over half of its fuel products since 1942, and so were one of the US Army Airforce and RAAF's most important targets from 1943 till 1 July 1945.

On this morning, with American bombs having already fallen on the beach, the Australian troops landed five minutes early and began the assault, joined on the following day by a reserve brigade.

Oboe2 was successful, with the retaking of the town and harbor of Balikpapan, and the securing of the oil installations, airfields and coast from Klandasan to Manggar. Within six weeks of the successful assault, the Japanese had been defeated.

TODAY: Back to dealing with that Income Tax stuff. Up early this morning and lined up a the bank by 8:30 a.m. And everything was going really good too - until, the lines of communication stopped (by that I think they meant the internet). Anyways only 1 out of the 13 pieces of paper got paid. And now, this afternoon - I have to make the trip back. @#*!

....... and in the in between time - we're deal with re-potting a bunch of plants.

Have a good one.

Good to Go!