‘For all you have given’: nation honours war veterans
Tens of thousands of Australians will gather at dawn ceremonies across the country to honor the service and sacrifice of the nation’s veterans.
Saturday marks the 111th anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces on the Turkish coast at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.
More than 8,000 Australian soldiers died during the failed campaign, which failed to gain control of the Dardanelles.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend a dawn ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where he will acknowledge the debts owed to all the men and women who went to war.
“We express our gratitude to our veterans for everything they have given,” he will say.
“We thank all Australians currently serving and your families who bear both the pride and the burden.
“What their legacy proves to us is that even when peace seems elusive, it is always worth fighting for.”
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says Anzac Day is much more than an expression of respect and gratitude.
“As we reach into the past, remembering our fallen, we remind ourselves of who we are as Australians,” he says in a statement.
Anzac Day parades in Melbourne and Sydney will begin at 9am (AEST) and Last Post ceremonies will take place in the afternoon.
A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft will fly over the national war memorial during the veterans’ march at 9.30am.
Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith is expected to attend the Anzac Day ceremony in Queensland while out on bail on war crimes charges.
Mr Roberts-Smith denies the accusations.
“Anzac Day is sacred to me and all other veterans,” he told The Australian.
“I will attend to pay my respects and I encourage everyone else to attend as well.”
Mr Roberts-Smith is charged with five counts of war crime murder, allegedly committed while he was serving in Afghanistan as a special forces soldier between 2009 and 2012.
Anzac Day is commemorated each year on 25 April and commemorates the more than 1.5 million Australians who served in wars and peacekeeping operations, including the 103,000 who lost their lives.
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