22 Apr ANZAC Day | Lest We Forget

Every year on the 25th of April, hundreds of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders around the world gather at dawn on Anzac Day. Now, more than ever, we hold peace close to our hearts.

ANZAC is an acronym and stands for Australian New Zealand Army Corps, the name given to the body of troops raised by the two countries to aid the British Empire in the Great War. Throughout the war Australian and New Zealand troops, or ‘Diggers’ and ‘Kiwis’, would live, fight, and die alongside each other creating a bond between the two nations that still exists today.

Originally a commemoration of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli in modern-day Turkey in 1915, Anzac Day is a public expression of gratitude and reflection on the service and sacrifice of generations and all those who suffer the consequences of war, which resonates to the present day.

“We remember those on ANZAC Day….

In the early morning, just before sun-up and while the sky is still grey,

we silently remember the fallen and the wounded on ANZAC Day.

Those who fought for our allied countries, both here and on foreign shores –

those killed, wounded and all returned service personnel in all the world wars;

service men and women of every distinction and all ranks…

we give you all our heartfelt gratitude and our sincere thanks.

ANZAC Day is a day to remember the mates who were left behind,

all service personnel who returned home injured, shell shocked or blind,

and also those psychologically scarred by the bloody battlefield

– their experiences are too horrific to be discussed or revealed….

As a nation we are united by tragedies and terrible loss,

and each year we stand together under the Great Southern Cross.

The tragic loss of so many lives – soldiers, sailors, airmen and nurses,

causing broken hearts and grief that time never reimburses…

all leaving behind a bereaved mother, father, a distraught husband or wife,

forever destined to mourn the terrible loss of their precious one’s life.

They perished on our home shores and across the vast sea

and allowed us to live in this great land of the lucky and free.

They are not forgotten, or overlooked by the passing of the years…

silently we stand and remember them as the sun slowly appears.

And as the bugle plays “The Last Post” and we humbly watch the dawn break,

we appreciate how courageous they were when our freedom was at stake.

They were people – much loved and full of life when they answered the call,

on April 25th each and every year, we will remember them all.”

©Trish Reeves 2021