Today is the 90th anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Troops who landed at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli. Went to the Anzac Day Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra today. Very sombre. Good to see so many people there.
I gave this speech two years ago at an Anzac Day Service a couple of years ago. Some facts have changed - but would like to share the speech again.
ANZAC Day Speech
First of all, please may I thank the Dandenong Ranges RSL Club for inviting a Junior Member of the Royal Australian Air Force up here today to speak with you. I feel honoured to have accepted that privilege.
What does ANZAC Day mean to me? This is something that I had not seriously thought about before being invited up here. During my twenty one years in the RAAF I had either marched in various places around Australia, worked as Duty Security Controller on my Base or watched the proceedings on television.
I researched ANZAC Day on the web last week as a way to start putting my thoughts on the subject together. I was lucky enough to find a speech presented by the Governor General at the death of Ted Mathews in 1997. For those of you unaware, Ted Mathews was the last surviving Australian ANZAC.
Two sentences from the Governor General’s speech struck me as being very poignant about ANZAC Day and are thoughts that I agree with.
The Governor General quoted a line from Manning Clark who was describing the first ANZAC’s and the sacrifice that they made for this country. The line was “something to deep for words” . I believe this can be applied to all Australian Servicemen and Women that have fought in battle since Gallipoli. We should never forget the sacrifice that their families made either!
Ted Mathews was also quoted during his lifetime as saying that the main purpose of ANZAC Day was to remind us of the “Evils of War”. Never a truer word has been spoken.
I look around the room today and see the faces of many servicemen and women that have served in Battle around the world. One of the purposes of today should be to thankyou for the sacrifice that you have made for your country and thanks to your fallen friends that didn’t return. They paid the ultimate sacrifice.
I have some friends that are serving in the Middle East at the moment. Fortunately it appears that they will be returning to Australia sooner rather than later as the current conflict appears to be on its way towards being resolved. This has reminded one that we are much closer in the ADF to be called upon for active service in the last ten years than what we were in the 80’s when I first joined up.
I also believe that ANZAC Day is about remembering the freedom that the Australian Serviceman and Woman has fought for over the years.
This is the freedom to practise the religion of our choice, to express our thoughts in public and to live how we choose without breaking the laws of our land. Over the last few weeks we have seen various political lobby groups push the anti-war message via street demonstrations etc. Even though we might not agree with their opinion we should be glad that we live in a country where people can publicly state their views without fear of retribution. May we always have that freedom to express ourselves openly and honestly.
As I said earlier I have been a Serviceman for 21 years and have been fortunate not to have served in a Battle Zone or fired a shot in anger during that time. I am proud to be a member of the RAAF and ADF. We have one of the best Defence Forces in the world and that is because of the people in it! I am a Long distance Walker. Recently I was taking part in a Mass Participation Teams event at Geelong as a Solo competitors. I was getting quite a bit of support from different teams, but the team that was cheering the loudest was from the Geelong Branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association. Those cheers trebled once they realised I was in the Air Force. That is the comradeship that never disappears from people that have fought for their country
I also have a 60 year old friend, who is a Priest and Long distance Runner in the Western District. He recently swum with the Sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium to celebrate his birthday ( I can think of better ways to celebrate!). He was afraid of sea animals, but felt that fear paled in comparison to the potential problems that our servicemen were facing in the current conflict. Thankyou Bill for your thoughts and deeds. I am very grateful for your public thoughts on the matter and appreciation of what the ADF is doing.
Thankyou once again to the Servicemen and women of all democracies that have fought around the globe to protect the freedom and democracy that we cherish. For those that didn’t return you and your families paid the ultimate sacrifice This includes the battle fields of Gallipoli, Papua New Guinea, Darwin and all areas of the world where lives have been lost. I today also remember my relatives on both sides that have served and survived in the Services over the last two generations. This includes my Grandfather who served in the Front of Europe in WW1 as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corp and saw the true horrors of war and my wife’s Grandfather who was a Lance-Corporal Signalman in the AIF during WW2 and did his time for Australia. They both survived but lost good friends in the process. Hopefully we never see another World War.
I hope that ANZAC Day will always be remembered in Australia. It is truly a day where we can remember freedom, those that did pay the Ultimate Sacrifice and this Great country of ours. Thanks once again to the Dandenong Ranges RSL for inviting my wife and I up here today and asking me share my thoughts with you. We look forward to meeting more of you and hearing your stories after the Service.
PHIL ESSAM
25th April 03
Phil
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