expands his 15mm modern building collection.
Normally we post spotlights for new products a week before they are released. We thought we should do a slightly early sneak peek for the Vietnam Anzac figures, since last Thursday happened to be Anzac Day.
The Vietnam Anzacs are personally significant to me because they are the first complete range of figures I have sculpted. As with any creative endeavor, there are some things about the figures I would probably change with hindsight, but I am quite happy with how they have turned out, and I can't wait to see how they are received.
Anzac Day is a national holiday of great significance to Australians and New Zealanders. The name ANZAC – from Australia and New Zealand Army Corps – commemorates the landings at Gallipoli in 1915. The poor handling of the Gallipoli campaign by the British leadership, and the ensuing high Anzac casualties, led Australians and New Zealanders to question their ties to the Mother Country for the first time. The 'Anzac legend' became a critical part of the emerging national identities of both countries. On Thursday morning, thousands all over Australia and New Zealand will get out of bed early to attend dawn services honoring veterans of all wars.
As with many days of remembrance, Anzac Day has not been without controversy over the years. It has often been used as an occasion for protest against politically unpopular wars. Vietnam was certainly no exception, and the period of the Vietnam War marked a record low point in attendance at Anzac Day services in both countries.
The public reaction faced by many returning veterans of the Vietnam War reflected the widespread public backlash against the conflict. Though this sad fact persisted for decades, in recent years, attitudes to Vietnam veterans have changed markedly. While the war itself remains as controversial as ever, those who dutifully answered their countries' call to serve have increasingly been allowed their deserved place in the popular consciousness alongside veterans of less divisive conflicts. Their country asked them to fight, so they fought, and the politics belong to a very different discussion.
I personally feel that the growing relevance of the Vietnam War as a period for wargaming reflects, in part, this adjustment of attitudes to the conflict. And I think that is a very healthy thing. I genuinely hope Flames of War: Vietnam helps to inspire people to learn more about the war and the men and women on both sides who fought it.
