By Royal Australian Navy Captain Chris Waterson:
Anzac Day commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops on the Gallipoli peninsula on April 25, 1915.
We gather as always, not to glorify war, but to remind ourselves that we value who we are and the freedoms we possess; and to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who contributed to shaping the identity of our nation, and those that continue to serve.
l am with you to remember those from Narrabri and the surrounding District, of all generations, who have served our nation and paid the ultimate sacrifice; never again to return home to the land they loved; never again to see their family and friends.
Sadly, our World War II service members are now very few in number. Known as the Greatest Generation – they helped our allies to defeat hate, cruelty and greed in Europe and across the Indo-Pacific.
These veterans, both women and men, who returned tempered by war, took on the task of rebuilding Australia. We are all in their debt and we pay our respects to those of that generation of citizens still with us today.
I know that I am speaking to some of you who can recall from personal experience the trauma of war, which affected your families. Each in a unique way.
The experience of wars in Korea and Vietnam remains vivid in the hearts and minds of many Australians. Those of us in uniform today have inherited the legacy of those who served in these wars, they epitomised the spirit and values displayed in every battle in which Australians have proven themselves. The qualities of self-sacrifice, courage and a fair go for others.
Their example offers both inspiration and sets the required standard for us.
There are also younger ADF veterans who equally deserve our respect and our gratitude. Marked by their experience far from our shores, many have lost friends and there is still much pain from these losses. These veterans stand alongside us every day, making their contribution to this town; serving their country and community just as the earlier generations of veterans have done.
Anzac Day was first commemorated during the First World War to ensure that the sacrifices made by Australians and New Zealanders on the shores of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 would not be forgotten. Today all Australians pause to reflect on the contribution made by all of our past and present service personnel who have chosen to serve our country.
The men and women of today’s Australian Defence Force strive daily to emulate the qualities of self-sacrifice, courage and a fair go for others demonstrated by those who have come before us in the Australian Uniform.
Their example offers both inspiration and the required standard of us.
Nearly 1900 Officers and Sailors of the Royal Australian Navy made the ultimate sacrifice. For the majority of them, their grave has no headstone, and there was no burial service. Their ships sank quickly and became their eternal resting place.
Today when our ships pass their location, we stop, say a prayer, and cast wreaths in the sea above where our ships are resting and rusting on the sea floor. We consider these sailors ‘forever on patrol’, and recite the words:
They have no Grave but the cruel sea
No flowers lay at their head
A rusting hulk is their tombstone
Afast on the ocean bed.
Lest We Forget
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