Memories help to keep up the pace
Uplifted by the applause and cheers of thousands lining the Strand, Ernie Gimm found the energy to keep up with the cracking pace of Tuesday’s Anzac march along The Strand.
The 81-year-old veteran might not be as spritely as he was when fighting in the jungles of Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam during the 1960s, but he remained just as determined to see things through to the end with his mates.
“(Seeing the cheering crowd) is always a good feeling,” Mr Gimm said.
“They set a mean pace. They forget that we’re all ageing in our 80s now, we just can’t keep pace with them.”
His Anzac Day began with Thuringowa Dawn Service, where he estimated two to three thousand people were in attendance.
“It was beautiful out there, the breeze, and I laid the wreath for the Vietnam vets, then raced home, got changed, then back into the march here,” he said.
“There’s definitely more (spectators this year), and fortunately, we’re seeing a lot of the younger generation as well. It’s great to see the schools taking part.”
A life member of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Townsville, Mr Gimm said it was important to march, to keep the memories alive of those who had gone before them.
“I’ve lost a lot of mates over the years and I re
member them while I’m marching,” he said.
Following his tour in Vietnam, he returned to Townsville in 1967, before being promoted and relocated to Melbourne.
“I always liked Townsville and the people in Townsville,” he said.
After retiring from the air force in 1982, he returned to Townsville, and now calls Condon’s Carlyle Gardens home.