Tourism Minister announces Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day

National, Normal

CABINET has endorsed Nov 3 as an annual remembrance day for the allied carriers of World War Two and is dubbed as the “Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day”.
Culture and Tourism Minister Charles Abel made the announcement last Friday, saying that the scheduled date was also the day when the Australian flag was raised again at Kokoda after they had suppressed their enemies.
Mr Abel said that the day would also reflect the importance the PNG carriers had on the outcome of the war on their practical and morale-boosting influences.
He said Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels Day was selected after a nationwide competition where the winners would be announced in the media this week.
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a term of endearment given to the carriers by the Australian soldiers which had become an icon in terms of the historical relationship between our two countries.
The Nov 3 celebrations would be administered by the PNG Tourism Promotions Authority and the Kokoda Track Authority in conjunction with provincial and district authorities.
Plans are already underway for Nov 3 to coincide with
the Kokoda super marathon and the Fuzzy Wuzzy medal presentation and flag-raising
in that month.
“This is a national day and over time, ceremonies will be extended to other historical war sites where Papua New Guineans helped the allies in terms of services such as carriers and labourers,” Mr Abel said.