After explaining the history of ANZAC Day yesterday, today I wanted to share our experience of the service we attended.
Traditionally, an Anzac Day service starts at dawn. I haven’t been to many that have though; when I was a child I remember going to the War Memorial in Melbourne and remembering it being very cold and not knowing the words to God Save the Queen.
At school, we were probably the ONLY school in Australia not to take Anzac Day off, but I do remember the ceremony very clearly. The headmaster would read out the names of every student and teacher who had died in conflict, starting at the Boer War, working through the two world wars, Vietnam, Korea. East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. The whole exercise takes around 20 minutes. It was a profoundly depressing, but also moving, part of the ceremony.
Our experience in Denver was very different. Firstly, it was the first ceremony I have been to that emphasised the Australian AND New Zealand contribution; after all, it isn’t AAC or NZAC day. Back in Aus, and I’m sure it was the same in NZ, the other country was a bit of an after thought.
Even more unique was the addition of a THIRD nation into the ANZAC Day ceremony, the good ol’ US of A. Not only was the Stars and Stripes hanging next to the two Australian and New Zealand Flags, but we all had to got to sing the US anthem as well. Just like my experience as a kid 25+ years ago, I didn’t know all the words.
I’m glad we went. After the service we had a chance to catch up with a few members of the diaspora and enjoy a cold one. Sadly we left before the two-up began, but there will always be next year.
Lest we forget.