Pride in public support
A GOLD Coast RSL’s novel plan for a pop-up outdoor bar initially fell flat yesterday when the keg tap didn’t work.
Surfers Paradise RSL had to resort to Plan B – hitting the cans (below) – for its veterans party before eventually the taps started working.
Surfers RSL president Ross Eastgate said despite the setback, the day – which started with an 8000-strong turnout for the Esplanade dawn service – was going well.
The two-storey RSL on Cavill Avenue is having a multi-million revamp meaning one floor was off limits.
“We set this up down here for the members to take some of the stress off the bar upstairs, which it has,” Mr Eastgate said.
The HMAS Nirimba ex-navy apprentices had their reunion at the RSL.
HMAS Nirimba exapprentice Neil Garvin didn’t mind the tap failing, saying as long as the beer was cold it was a success.
“It’s great up,” he said.
RSL member and old army Sapper Dick Toner said he hoped they had a pop-up bar next year.
“It was a top idea, we should do it more often,” he said. catching WORLD War II veteran David Mattiske’s eyesight might be failing, but the 93year-old could tell the turnout at the Southport RSL dawn service was “just unbelievable”.
“I don’t have much eyesight left, so I can’t always see all the people or what’s going on, but I do know there’s an enormous crowd,” he grinned early yesterday.
“It makes me very proud, very much so. It all gives me hope for the future of this place, this country.”
Mr Mattiske served in the Australian Navy on HMAS Shropshire, alongside the United States 7th Fleet.
He was front row at the Anzac Day service and planned to attend further commemorations at Surfers Paradise.
Assisted by a walker, the veteran was as keen as ever to pay his respects.
Serving in the Pacific, Mr Mattiske said he was lucky not to lose any mates – perhaps due to “divine intervention”.
“We went through these battles and confronted the worst weapons the Japanese ever had
– the kamikazes – and we went right through there and we never lost a man from enemy action,” he said in wonder that he and his comrades survived the raids by suicide pilots.
Mr Mattiske said his two daughters and son-in-law flew from Melbourne to join him yesterday.
“It’s a busy day. A long day for me,” he said.
An estimated 8000 or more people attended the service, led by Southport Sub-Branch president and master of ceremonies John Riebeling.
Another World War II veteran, Graeme Legat, 94, was one of thousands of all ages at the 9am Citizens Service.
Mr Legat attended, as he does each year, with his son and daughter-in-law.
He fought in the Pacific for the New Zealand Army and Fijian Army.
“Every year there’s a great turnout for Anzac Day and this is a great spot,” he said.
Mr Legat had “lots of memories” of mates lost in the war and said he thought of them often, not just on April 25 each year.