My parents and I flew back to Australia after our grand tour of New Zealand on April 20th. They stayed in Sydney for a few days and I returned to uni. But on Friday the 23rd, they came down on the bus to visit me in Canberra for the weekend and the three of us visited the Australian War Memorial the later part of the day so we could experience the moving "Last Post" ceremony at 5:00pm and enjoy the sun setting over Canberra from a slight elevation. The museum portion of the Memorial is fantastic and my dad and I enjoyed the "Of Love and War" exhibit. I wish we had had more time to see The Hall of Memory, the Roll of Honor and the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. I'll have to go back. But the "Last Post" was preformed by a young kilt-clad man on the bagpipes and it was pretty amazing. That's when my love of bagpipe music was solidified. It's just always soo moving! I'm really glad I got to see the War Memorial before ANZAC Day and I'm glad I was able to see it with my parents. The next day my parents took the bus back to Sydney so they could catch their plane early on Sunday. I didn't have an early plane to catch, but I was up WELL before the sun on that Sunday, which was ANZAC Day. The reason? "After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of Anzac Day remembrance during the 1920s" as explained by Wikipedia and 2010 marked the 95th Anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. Some friends had asked if I wanted to go to the Dawn Service with them, so being the patriotic woman I am, I said yes. I went to bed at 9:00pm the night before so waking up at 4:00am wouldn't be as difficult and it actually worked wonders! I made sure I was dressed warmly since ANZAC Day is known to kind of mark a change in the weather towards winter, and of course I had to wear red just because of it's symbolism and presence in the Australian flag. Earlier in the week I'd bought an ANZAC badge by donation to wear, so I pinned it near my heart. Even though I am not Australian, I can still appreciate the sacrifices that men and women worldwide have made for their countries and it's still moving. When we got to the service just in front of the entrance to the War Memorial, I also purchased by donation a "candle", red poppy and service program. If I was going to do the Dawn Service, I was going to do it right! :) Everyone sang the hymn "O Valiant Heart", "Abide With Me", "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and we also sang the Australian National Anthem, said the Lord's Prayer, listened to the ANZAC Dedication (given by Mr. John King), prayers (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), the Ode (given by Mrs. June Healy), a recital of "In Flanders Fields" (by a little boy named Chad Amrein), a Commemorative address (given by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden), and the Benediction (by Senior Chaplin Catie Inches-Ogden). The Last Post was also sounded by bugle's call and we observed a One Minute's Silence. It was a beautiful service and all done before the sun really came up! Afterwards, the three of us went out to breakfast and I enjoyed a delicious crêpe (cafes and restaurants were only open that early because it was ANZAC Day and they knew there would be many hungry people waiting between the Dawn Service and the National Service later in the day). And despite already having slept 7 hours that night, I went back to sleep for another 3 or so once I got back to my dorm room! :-p
I'm sad I missed seeing the Roll of Honor dotted with red poppies left as tokens of love, pride and thanksgiving next to the names of the men and women who gave their lives. I'll have to go back and hope that the wall still has a few that haven't been taken down to get a couple of my own cool pictures. The red poppy has become a symbol of military remembrance since the flower is actually a weed and flourished in war-ravished wastelands. They serve as a vivid reminder of the blood that was shed in these areas. A single flower is indeed beautiful, but a growing field or crowd of people each possessing one is an overwhelmingly powerful image. So now you know and next time you see one or many.... "Lest we forget!"
I hope Rhiannen doesn't mind that I'm using her photograph! I didn't attend the service with her, but she went up afterwards and found her relatives name in the Roll of Honor. How special is that!!! Thanks Rhiannen! :)The Australian National Anthem
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is grit by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's pages, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
"In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, May 3rd, 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely sing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall no sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
No comments:
Post a Comment