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We assemble today to honour not just the vanquished of the Gallipoli campaign, but all wars where Australian men and women made the ultimate sacrifice.
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World War 1 was known as The Great War, the war to end all wars. If history teaches us one thing, it is that it’s easy to condemn the past but harder to learn from it.
Australians collectively grieve when the nightly news reports another Australian soldier lost. A family heart-broken, a home town in mourning. One can only imagine the collective sadness of families from the time of Gallipoli.
Anzac Day today is not so much about actual events that occurred 102 years ago. The reality is that we were invading another country. The Turks defended their soil and the invaders had to retreat. We would similarly have protected our own shores.
It is more about the qualities the Anzacs demonstrated in the face of adversity – resilience, respect, friendship, resourcefulness and courage were the core ingredients that underpin the ideals of the Anzac spirit. Above all the Anzac spirit imbibes a spirit of selflessness.
They, like those who have departed in defence roles since, entered a battle knowing that it could possibly be a sacrifice commitment; motivated by a sense of duty, a sense of pride and a sense for a better world.
This was a situation where they had little choice, but it was an act that elevated them to a position of esteem few of us can easily obtain.
Today, from dawn, in silence, townsfolk in every village and town large enough to have a war memorial are able to raise the Australian flag that symbolises a nation rich in diversity, rich in character and rich in history.
Today is also about remembering our bond with New Zealand. There can be no notion of Anzac spirit without them. They were alongside us in Gallipoli, France and Belgium.
Today is a good time to remember the values we share with New Zealand are stronger than any difference we might have on the football field.
The Anzacs haven’t lived to see the latest iPhone released, or the newest tablet computer. Their legacy has been to create a world that allows all of those and more to occur. What they have done is leave behind a formative chapter in Australian history.
Their courage and commitment to selflessness and sacrifice continues to invoke a powerful and enduring sense of pride in being Australian.
- Mike McClelland, Laurieton RSL
