ANZAC Day alive and well

Yesterday, I attended the dawn parade of our local ANZAC day commemorations in Manurewa. I trundled out of bed around 5:30am and headed down to the Cenotaph on the corner of Great South Road and Hill Road Manurewa.

Expecting a few people out to join a dwindling number of veterans I was completely blown away at the organisation of such a well attended service. The road had been formally closed off, and as I locked my car I heard the distinct tapping of a drum which I discovered kept the marching parade in time as it descended upon the Cenotaph.

It was 5:50am and I was already scrambling for a position where I could see everything that was going to happen. This was the first ANZAC dawn parade that I can remember attending as an adult, so I didn’t know what to expect.

By 6:00AM two columns of marchers arrived. There must have been 150 people… amazing! There were possibly a further 150 people lining the streets around the Cenotaph. Wow! I couldn’t believe how may people turned up. What struck me afresh was the number of young people who got up early to be at the parade and brief service. Perhaps many had come out to support grandparents or great grandparents, but it was fantastic that they made the effort. I was moved when the young bugler sounded the ‘last post’ and ‘reveille’. By 6:35am I was heading back home for breakfast and a renewed sense of thankfulness for those who served their country in war. At 9:40am I was heading out the door again to attend the formal ANZAC day service at the same location. This time my Daughter was with me as she was part of the parade as one of Alfriston College’s head girls. If the dawn parade was amazing, the formal parade and service was even more impressive. The parade itself had approximately 250 people and the crowd number was similar. At this service there were a number of dignitaries including representatives from Manukau City Council, local business, and the guest speaker Lieutenant Colonel Holley. What moved me the most was a speech from Ashleigh Colcord, head girl, James Cook High School. She spoke of her passion about ANZAC day, her whanau and her country. The age of the attendees were youthful and many community groups were included in the parade itself. The Reverend Ross Browne, officiating the service, articulated a recent journalists view that ANZAC day was dead and no one is interested, particularly amongst the young. Perhaps the journalist should attend an ANZAC day service to find that ANZAC day is alive and well. Better than that, I am witnessing a renaissance of young kiwis wanting to attend because of the opportunity to remember those who have fallen on our behalf and to bring identity and meaning to their own lives. As the ANZAC Ode says: They shall grow not old, As we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them, nor the year condemn At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them I posted something on my facebook page and a response from a friend lamented why we didn't see as many come out to the Easter Sunday dawn service. Well, perhaps we should hold it at the cenotaph than in a church building. I have already booked my holiday to be in Gillipoli on 25th April, 2015. Anyone want to join me? Peter