Anzac service draws good turnout
Thoughts turn to current conflicts
Amisty rain descended on Pahiatua around 5.30am on Anzac Day but then cleared for the start of the dawn parade at 6am.
There was a good turnout ranging from young children to the elderly.
In his opening speech, Rodney Wright, president of Pahiatua RSA, spoke of the conflict in the Great War.
“Between 1914 and 1918, 100,000 men and women left New Zealand and went to the battlefields of the Great War in Europe,” he said.
“The population was barely 1 million but 20,000 of those did not return, 40,000 were wounded. The most significant loss of life was those young men who fought gallantly at Gallipoli, where 8000 lost their lives and became embedded in our history as the Anzacs.
“Let us not only remember them but those who never returned home from wars and conflicts that New Zealand soldiers have taken part in.
“Today, we not only honour their memory, but also their ultimate sacrifice, so we can live in peace, as we do today.
“Our hopes and prayers go out to those people who today live in countries torn by war.
“The most recent in Ukraine, where many civilians have lost their lives and many others have been relocated after their cities and houses have been destroyed,” he said.
The Anzac Day message from Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro was read by councillor Shirley Hull: “As New Zealanders gather to mark Anzac Day this year, our attention turns to the courageous actions of our service personnel and the sacrifices they have made across our history.
“We take time today to remember the generations of New Zealanders who, without guarantee of safe return, left their homes and families for shores unknown.
“While we reflect on their experiences, we are also given cause to consider the division that exists in our world today and the enduring impact of war and conflict.
“That impact goes far beyond any measurable tally.
“For every soldier lost, a family is left bereft. For every returned veteran, painful memories are left unspoken. For every individual touched, lives are changed forever.
“As we bear witness to events unfolding around the world, we see that the human toll of the conflict is not confined to the past, nor to a single generation.
“This Anzac Day, while we pay tribute to the sacrifices throughout our history, I encourage New Zealanders to also consider the present. Be it mokopuna who never had the chance to know their koro, or a former refugee family uprooted from their homeland — none of us is far removed from someone who has experienced the enduring impact of war. Let us also consider their journeys today.
“And most importantly, let us pay tribute to our veterans: New Zealanders who served our country and who sacrificed so much in the name of peace and freedom.
“As we share in this day of remembrance and reflection, it is our privilege to honour you.
“Your service and that of your compatriots who never saw New Zealand’s shores again leave a legacy that spans generations.
“Our duty is to uphold that legacy by continuing to stand against division and hatred and by striving for a peaceful future for all.”
An Anzac dedication was read by Tom Fleming, Pahiatua RSA local welfare officer: “Upon this day in 1915, Anzac received its baptism of fire and became one of the immortal names of history.
“It was then that the men of Australia and New Zealand were united in a fight for justice and freedom, and now, as the grey shadows of the dawn appear, we unite once again to honour the memory of those who went with us to the battlefields of the Great War but did not return.
“We remember, also, those men and women of a new generation who have made the same sacrifice that others may live in peace.
“We desire to be worthy of their great deeds and once more dedicate our lives to the service of the ideals for which they died.
“As the dawn of this new day has conquered the night, so let their memory inspire us to work for the coming of new light into the hearts of all people.
“We pray that their fight and their sacrifice, may not have been in vain and that in due season, their everlasting memorial may be ‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill Among Men’.”
At the Pahiatua RSA Lawn Cemetery service at Mangatainoka, the president read the following.
“The men and women in this RSA cemetery are those who returned home safe from the battlegrounds,” he said.
“Some were wounded and some were held prisoner for the duration of the war.
“We remember them for their part in bringing an end not only to the Great War but other wars that New Zealand soldiers have taken part in. May they rest in peace.”
■ Around $1500 was raised from the Poppy Day appeal for the welfare of returned veterans and anyone who has completed military service.