GEELONG REMEMBERS
HUNDREDS of people filled Johnstone Park to pay their Remembrance Day respects yesterday, the ceremony marking 100 years since the end of World War I.
People of all generations, many with poppies pinned to chests, sat in quiet reflection as the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month struck once more.
Among them was 70-yearold Peter Cochrane who spent 12 months in Vietnam.
Mr Cochrane was wearing medals representing his grandfather, who fought in World War I, and father, who fought in World War II, alongside his own.
The Lara resident was joined by his 14-year-old grandson Tristan Cochrane, a member of the Geelong Army Cadets whose dream is to be in the Army Reserves.
“It was a terrific service, it’s quite a moving day,” Mr Cochrane said.
“It’s good to see all the peo- ple turn out, it’s good that they remember.”
His grandfather was wounded on April 26, 1915, one day into his service, aged 29.
He linked back up with his wife after returning on a hospi- tal ship and had a son, Mr Cochrane’s father, who served in WWII first in Queenscliff and later in New Guinea.
He died soon before his son went to Vietnam to follow in his footsteps.
Mr Cochrane said he was proud his grandson Tristan had taken an interest in the family’s history and was keen to not only pass on their stories but keep their memory alive through his own actions.
Ocean Grove SAS soldier Dave Farrell MG was guest speaker, telling how his six tours of Afghanistan had heightened his respect for those who had served before him.
“Unlike myself, they had no end date, they did not know when they were coming home but still they went,” Mr Farrell said.
“Their weaponry and equip- ment was awkward and out of date. They boarded ships to different battle zones to fight an enemy they knew nothing about.
“They did not have a few days off like we did, they were all in a situation where they had to fight for months and months at a time.”
From a population of fewer than five million, 416,000 men enlisted, more than 60,000 were killed and more than double that number suffered physical or mental injuries.
Mr Farrell said even when information about the horrors of war made it back, people continued to sign up.
“They knew when they signed up it was going to be tough and their chance of survival was low but still they signed up in huge numbers,” he said. “For me, people that do that are the true heroes.”