Veteran’s chilling prediction about Australia just came true—here’s why he’s furious
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National traditions often spark debate, especially when long-standing customs face new challenges.
A recent decision by a Sydney primary school has ignited controversy.
Criticism from a decorated war veteran has turned it into a broader debate about how Australia honours its history.
A Sydney primary school’s decision to allow students to opt out of its ANZAC Day service sparked backlash, with a decorated war veteran condemning the move as part of a broader ideological shift.
Sherwood Ridge Public School in Kellyville, northwest Sydney, sent an email to parents asking them to indicate if they preferred their child not to attend the school’s commemorative assembly on 10 April.
The school reportedly made the decision to accommodate a small group of Christian students whose beliefs prevent them from commemorating war.
Students who opted out of the ANZAC service were expected to participate in alternative supervised activities.
Vietnam War veteran Michael von Berg MC OAM criticised the decision, warning that national traditions were being undermined for ideological reasons.
‘Australia Day was first—I said ANZAC Day will be next and here we are,’ he shared.
He described the move as ‘an insult, and disrespectful to all of the wonderful men and women who we’ve lost in all wars’.
‘It should be beyond any religion or any sort of woke agenda,’ he said.
Von Berg, who received a Military Cross for bravery in 1966, was a platoon commander in Vietnam and led his troops to safety after an ambush.
His citation stated that he ‘showed a complete disregard for his own safety’ to push back the enemy attack and protect his soldiers.
He rejected the school’s justification, pointing out that many faiths were represented in the Australian Defence Force.
‘We had some wonderful padres with us on active service from all denominations,’ he said.
He also blamed broader cultural shifts for the controversy.
‘The kids didn’t come up with it and I don’t think it’s the parents either—I suspect it’s the teachers,’ he said.
‘You’ve just got some people that for whatever reason hate our country and hate our flag. And that’s very unhealthy for a country.’
‘It’s the woke agendas that haven’t been helped by the government, because we haven’t been hard enough or strict enough in coming down on it.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked whether schools should allow students to opt out of ANZAC Day events.
‘I support ANZAC Day. It’s as simple as that. I’ll be at ANZAC Day: I’ll be at the Australian War Memorial, that’s the appropriate place to be,’ he said.
‘My job is to support Australians and I support ANZAC Day very strongly.’
The school’s decision followed similar debates about the ANZAC legacy in recent years.
In 2024, Victorian activist Pippa Tandy from Teachers for Palestine expressed frustration over how Australia’s history was being taught.
She said she was ‘sick of having to do ideological work for arms companies and the government’.
After intense backlash from parents and veterans, Sherwood Ridge Public School’s principal, Jody Sullivan, reversed the school’s decision and announced that all students would now be expected to attend its ANZAC Day service.
‘The message sent out last month was seen as disrespectful by some members of the broader community and has detracted from our longstanding tradition of acknowledging and respecting ANZAC Day in our school,’ her statement read.
‘I want to apologise for this.’
ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915, where over 8,000 Australian soldiers lost their lives.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the event.
The NSW Department of Education has been contacted for comment.
In a previous story, we explored how veterans are seeking alternative treatments for PTSD.
One such approach has sparked a growing interest in psychedelics as a potential solution.
To find out if it’s really making a difference, be sure to read more.
With schools increasingly reevaluating traditions, do you think allowing students to opt out of ANZAC Day services is respectful or divisive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
A recent decision by a Sydney primary school has ignited controversy.
Criticism from a decorated war veteran has turned it into a broader debate about how Australia honours its history.
A Sydney primary school’s decision to allow students to opt out of its ANZAC Day service sparked backlash, with a decorated war veteran condemning the move as part of a broader ideological shift.
Sherwood Ridge Public School in Kellyville, northwest Sydney, sent an email to parents asking them to indicate if they preferred their child not to attend the school’s commemorative assembly on 10 April.
The school reportedly made the decision to accommodate a small group of Christian students whose beliefs prevent them from commemorating war.
School’s ANZAC Day opt-out sparks outrage. Image source: Alliance of Defence Service Organisations
Students who opted out of the ANZAC service were expected to participate in alternative supervised activities.
Vietnam War veteran Michael von Berg MC OAM criticised the decision, warning that national traditions were being undermined for ideological reasons.
‘Australia Day was first—I said ANZAC Day will be next and here we are,’ he shared.
He described the move as ‘an insult, and disrespectful to all of the wonderful men and women who we’ve lost in all wars’.
‘It should be beyond any religion or any sort of woke agenda,’ he said.
Von Berg, who received a Military Cross for bravery in 1966, was a platoon commander in Vietnam and led his troops to safety after an ambush.
His citation stated that he ‘showed a complete disregard for his own safety’ to push back the enemy attack and protect his soldiers.
He rejected the school’s justification, pointing out that many faiths were represented in the Australian Defence Force.
‘We had some wonderful padres with us on active service from all denominations,’ he said.
He also blamed broader cultural shifts for the controversy.
‘The kids didn’t come up with it and I don’t think it’s the parents either—I suspect it’s the teachers,’ he said.
‘You’ve just got some people that for whatever reason hate our country and hate our flag. And that’s very unhealthy for a country.’
‘It’s the woke agendas that haven’t been helped by the government, because we haven’t been hard enough or strict enough in coming down on it.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked whether schools should allow students to opt out of ANZAC Day events.
‘I support ANZAC Day. It’s as simple as that. I’ll be at ANZAC Day: I’ll be at the Australian War Memorial, that’s the appropriate place to be,’ he said.
‘My job is to support Australians and I support ANZAC Day very strongly.’
The school’s decision followed similar debates about the ANZAC legacy in recent years.
In 2024, Victorian activist Pippa Tandy from Teachers for Palestine expressed frustration over how Australia’s history was being taught.
She said she was ‘sick of having to do ideological work for arms companies and the government’.
‘The message sent out last month was seen as disrespectful by some members of the broader community and has detracted from our longstanding tradition of acknowledging and respecting ANZAC Day in our school,’ her statement read.
‘I want to apologise for this.’
ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915, where over 8,000 Australian soldiers lost their lives.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the event.
The NSW Department of Education has been contacted for comment.
In a previous story, we explored how veterans are seeking alternative treatments for PTSD.
One such approach has sparked a growing interest in psychedelics as a potential solution.
To find out if it’s really making a difference, be sure to read more.
With schools increasingly reevaluating traditions, do you think allowing students to opt out of ANZAC Day services is respectful or divisive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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