This year’s Anzac Day commemorations remembered and honoured military service men and women lost during wartime conflict and peacekeeping missions. 2023 commemorates 108 years since Anzac troops landed at Gallipoli in World War I and 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War.
At the Anzac Eve sunset service on Anzac Hill, Maldon, thoughts were extended to all Veterans of War. Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards made special mention of the sacrifice of the soldiers who fought in Korea as 2023 also marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Often referred to as the forgotten war, more than 17,000 Australians served, and more than 330 were killed. Australians continue to serve in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea.
The RSL Anzac March was well attended, as was the service at the Shire Gardens Cenotaph. The service included the story of Clarence Ambler Edhouse, a Maldon local who enlisted at the age of 19 and died in action in France in 1918. He will not be forgotten.
Laying wreaths in memory of fallen soldiers, Maldon Primary School acknowledge the Anzacs, Neil Buck raising the flag.
Photos: Tarrangower Times
Veterans of war still face challenges today, that include mental health struggles and homelessness, while Iran, Afghanistan and Middle East veterans are seeking out support services more than ever.
Every year, the Anzac Appeal raises much-needed funds to run programs for the support the welfare of all veterans.
As war rages in Ukraine and many other parts of the world, and our defence forces continue their services engaging in peacekeeping and security operations, honouring our service men and women of the past and the present remains a vitally important ritual.
Lest we forget.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 28 April 2023.
