Don’t forget to remember our soldiers

Our nation will come together this long weekend as we pause to recognise our fallen, the men and women who have served our country, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

To me Anzac Day is one of the most significant dates on our calendar as a nation.

Anzac Day is a significant occasion for every New Zealander.

I encourage everyone to attend an Anzac Day commemoration service on Monday.

Thousands of young Southland men and women have served overseas.

More than 1300 Southlanders lost their lives in the two world wars, and more in the wars that followed.

War memorials around Southland list the names of those who laid down their lives.

Our service people risked their lives for this country and those who did return came home with emotional and physical scars that would never heal.

So many families have sent loved ones away to war.

Every community, every family was touched in some way by World War I or World War II. Countless New Zealand service men and women have served in conflicts including Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and many more.

It is important to recognise their efforts too, as well those who serve our country today.

More than 100 years has now passed since the end of the Great War but its significance endures.

Though we no longer see the direct impact, WWI and the wars that followed have shaped our country and our communities. No life was untouched. On Monday, I’ll attend commemorations in Riverton, where last year there was a record turnout of hundreds, including a huge number of children.

I was pleased to see so many young faces in the crowds at Anzac services last year.

It’s important our children mark Anzac Day and its significance, so that our future generations can understand the futility of war and so they can recognise pay respect to those who made so many sacrifices for the future generations.

I’ve already seen many examples of our children marking Anzac Day in the south this year.

Students at Aparima College have erected a field of crosses to mark the fallen from that area and Woodlands Cubs and Keas recently visited the graves of servicemen at the Woodlands Cemetery.

It’s important we remember those who gave so much to our country not just on Anzac Day but throughout the year.

I know there are many things our communities are doing to recognise them and I’m proud to see this.

Last year the Balfour War Memorial restoration project was completed.

It pays tribute to the fallen and is a testament to those who worked for eight years to return it to its former glory.

In 2015 Limehills School pupils got to work restoring the Limehills war memorial with support from Limehills Centre Bush CDA and Winton RSA. I was blown away by the community-minded spirit of these young people and we can all be proud that young people like these are part of our community.

I know many Community Boards and Community Development Area subcommittees have worked to give local memorials a spruce up ahead of Anzac Day.

Venture Southland is continuing work on an inventory of all war memorials in Southland.

It’s believed there are up to 600 of these, some of which may have been forgotten.

There is a project to restore war memorials as well.

There are some great opportunities for us all to learn more about our history and the contributions of our soldiers.

Southland Museum and Art Gallery has a World War I exhibition, Home: Southland 1914-1918.

If you haven’t been already I urge you to take a look.

It gives an interactive look at what life was like in the trenches and the experiences our soldiers faced.

Looking through a periscope at a battlefield, you really get a sense of what it must have been like.

There are two displays at Riverton’s Te Hikoi Southern Journey Museum, one of which relates to fallen soldiers from the Riverton area.

At Te Papa in Wellington the Gallipoli: The scale of war exhibition is running until 2018.

It tells the story of the World War II Gallipoli campaign and features amazing work from Weta Workshop and Sir Richard Taylor.

I haven’t been to this yet but it’s definitely on my bucket list.

When I lay my poppy on the monument this Anzac Day it will be my thank you, and recognition to those who have served our country and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in doing so.

We will remember them. Gary Tong is the Southland District mayor