Anzac Day
Anzac day is a very important date for me.
It is a time to remember and honour the sacrifices that young Kiwis and Australians made when they landed at Gallipoli 95 years ago. It’s a time to recognise all our servicemen who have taken part in wars and peacekeeping efforts since then.
It will be a privilege to help the RSA in Levin on Friday morning by standing on a street corner with a poppy collection box. I get to feel the public’s generosity and warmth first hand as everyone wants to give a few dollars, show their Anzac spirit and wear a poppy with pride.
On Saturday I’m looking forward to the dedication of the new cenotaph in Levin. This has been a big community project over the last few years, and I’m glad that Internal Affairs lottery funding has helped this project to completion. Well done to all those involved.
On Anzac day I’m heading to a dawn service in Levin before attending ceremonies in Foxton and Waikanae.
Most small towns in New Zealand have memorials to those lost during the world wars, and I often think what a massive loss it must have been for local families and communities. In World War One New Zealand suffered one of the highest per capita casualty rates of any country, at a time when our total population was barely a million people.
Gallipoli has always been associated with sadness, but also pride. It was a time when our young nation came of age, fighting for principles and ideals with courage and determination. An enormous price was paid in human lives with more than 2700 New Zealanders killed during the campaign. Many more were wounded in battle. It’s hard to imagine the suffering, hardships, and horrors those young men witnessed.
Today there are more than 600 New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed on 14 peacekeeping operations, UN missions, and defence exercises across 10 countries. This includes places such as Afghanistan, Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, the Middle East, South Korea and Sudan. Anzac day is a time to acknowledge their service too and look forward to their safe return home.
Their service – and the sacrifice of the Anzacs – reminds us that we should never take our democratic freedom for granted.
Lest we forget.