25th April 2019- A century after World War I, ANZAC Day is enshrined in our lives as one of the most sacred days of the year. On this day we remember not only the original ANZACs, but all the servicemen and women who have been involved in the armed forces, past and present. The day is marked by dawn services, wreath laying ceremonies and parades of veterans in city streets, suburban parks and small country towns. Throughout the country the ode to the fallen is read:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
(from Laurence Binyon’s “For the Fallen”)
And we all reply with the response “Lest we forget”
No ANZAC Day would be complete without the veterans having a beer together in the local pub or RSL (Returned Serviceman’s League) club and it’s the only day of the year that “two up” a coin-tossing game is officially legal. People cook Anzac biscuits and share them with friends.
25th April 2020 – This year there are no parades. The streets cannot be lined with crowds waving flags to cheer our veterans and serving personnel. Nobody can have a drink and a yarn with a mate at the pub. But all over Australia we lit candles and stood in our driveways or on balconies, waving to our neighbours as the sun came up this morning. With the help of our various electronic devices we listened to a prayer from the Prime Minister, the last post, the ode, and bugle calls to start and end a minute’s silence.
We will never forget how much we owe to the fallen for the life we enjoy today.
May their spirit continue to encourage us to help our mates and be brave in the face of trials.
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