ANZAC Day 2017

It's 102 years since that fateful dawn raid by ANZAC forces on an isolated Turkish cove near the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915.

The desire to mark and remember as the collective memory becomes less immediate isn't waning at all. It is really a day to commemorate the service given to our country by men and women of the armed forces, police and red cross SINCE that day. As the WW2 survivors become more frail, there has been a handing on to Vetnam veterans to organise the events.

I attended 3 ANZAC events with 3 different "hats" on today which shows how comprehensively society in Australia embraces the day.

A new dawn service was instituted this year inn Geelong, and I was there in as a Scout Leader with others in our troop. Considering that it wasn't "official" there were still several hundred people gathered in the rain and darkness.
I took this picture at the brand new Leopold memorial, which was unveiled last Friday in pouring rain, resulting in a close approximation to the conditions of the Somme. I was asked to say the prayers and i addressed a group of again 100s. It was a beautiful service and had been taken deliberately out of churches to ensure a spirit of ecumenism.
The concrete memorial is quite stunning by itself, and I really felt for the organisers as we watched, for the first time, the laying of beautiful wreaths of mainly Australian flowers. The memirial was transformed into a special place of beauty.

Finally changing out of my priestly garb, I became a school marching band mum. I cheered on the parade and then retreated for a well earned coffee.

All good, then home for a quiet afternoon.