Matt Hewson
Thousands gathered in Geelong’s CBD this morning to pay their respects to the memory of those who have fallen and those who still serve our country in the Australian Defence Force.
With hundreds already having attended the pre-dawn service at the Geelong and District Peace Memorial at 4.15am, crowds gathered early to line Malop St in preparation for the 11am march, in which veterans, their families, reservists and cadets made their way to Johnstone Park to the sound of pipes and drums.
New Geelong RSL president Mark Lee conducted the annual Anzac Day service at the Hitchcock Memorial Bandstand, joined by dignitaries including member for Geelong Christine Couzens, Senator Sarah Henderson, Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan and councillors Anthony Aitken and Eddy Kontelj.
Guest speaker Wing Commander John Glover addressed the assembly on the importance of honouring those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for their country by striving to build a better future.
“We must thank our veterans and capitalise on the peace their sacrifices have bestowed upon us,” Wing Commander Glover said.
“Those veterans and those who serve today, at one point in their lives, wrote a blank check made payable to Australia for an amount up to and including his or her life. That is an enormous commitment, and we are the recipients of that largesse.
“What have we done in peace to merit their sacrifice? Let’s not waste time speculating. Let’s go out and do something worthwhile.
“For what they have done, this we must do. We do remember them. May we and our successors prove worthy of their sacrifice. Lest we forget.”
Army Reserve chaplain Captain Mohit Sampson, who participated in this year’s parade, said witnessing the Anzac Day ceremony shortly after he moved to Australia in 2011 was the reason he became a reservist.
“I wasn’t born into an army officer’s family or veteran’s family, but watching Anzac Day, understanding the real meaning of it motivated me emotionally and spiritually,” he said.
“I think it matters when we bring the community together and honour those who have given their lives. We shouldn’t forget their sacrifice; they did it completely, giving everything they could at a very young age.
“And it was not just those Anzacs but many others, many years later all these as we heard today.”
