By TONY CRONNIN, PORT MACQUARIE HIGH SCHOOL
WHAT does Anzac Day and the traditions of Anzac mean to the youth of today? I put the question to a random 34 students across two of our public high schools recently and the responses were very similar in almost all cases.
Our students cherish and value Anzac Day very highly.
They feel it is appropriate we commemorate those who have given their lives in all wars and honour those current members of the armed forces still serving overseas.
Many attend the Anzac Day march and memorial service in Port Macquarie, while three of those spoken to are regular participants in the Dawn Services.
Grace Green, a Year 11 student from Westport High School, has been to the Dawn Service 10 or 11 times.
“Grandpop died when I was in Year 4. He was a veteran of World War II,” she said.
“I didn’t see him much when I was young and I got most of my information about him online. He was in Changi prison in Singapore for a lot of it. Mum, my sister and all my aunties and uncles go to the Dawn Service every year. I used to wear his medals when I was in primary school. It’s a good thing everyone goes down there every year to remember.”
Liam Eastwell, a Year 10 student at Port Macquarie High School, said that his grand-dad is president of Blacktown RSL. When younger and living in Sydney, Liam accompanied his family and grandparents to the Dawn Service four years in a row.
“My uncle is serving in the Australian navy and is currently fighting off Somali pirates,” Liam said. “When he’s back on leave, my uncle marches in the Sydney parade.”
Since Year 8, Liam wanted to fly and be a pilot.
“But not necessarily in the airforce,” he said.
The third student who is a regular participant in the dawn service is Ethan Barrett and Ethan is in Year 11 at Westport High School. He is a Lance Corporal in the local 208 Cadet Unit in Port Macquarie and has ambitions to make a career in the armed forces. He has been short-listed for the Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship.
“Every year I participate with the 208 Unit in the Anzac Day celebrations. This year I volunteered to be on cenotaph duty at the Dawn Service in Wauchope and at the mid-morning service in Port Macquarie,” Ethan said.
Jack Cornish, a Year 10 student at Port High, has a Holocaust story. His grandmother on his mother’s side was Polish.
“Her mum was holding her as a baby in one of the concentration camps,” he said.
“She bribed a guard and escaped the camp. She walked miles in the snow with her baby. They both survived.” Jack said he felt a strong connection to Anzac Day through his family history.
Georgia Hamilton, the youngest of the students spoken to, is in Year 7 at Westport High school. She said that her two great-grandfathers were in World War II and both survived the war.
“One of my grandpops was on the Kokoda Trail,” Georgia said.
“Mum knows more about it than I do. I’m not too sure. It’s really important to remember those who did so much for us. We could all be speaking a different language by now.”
Lee Humes said he goes down to watch the march most years. Lee is another Year 11 student at Westport High School.
“Both my grandfathers missed out on serving in the Vietnam War due to health issues.”
When asked how he and his peer group feel about Anzac Day, Lee said: “Most of my friends feel genuine respect for what the Anzacs did. Even though they don’t all go to the Anzac Day service they still feel very thankful.”
Amy Lee from Year 10 at Port High researched World War I for a Powerpoint presentation. She was shocked to find how young some boys were who managed to enlist.
“These were boys as young as my classmates,” she said.
“I became emotionally involved. It was crazy seeing what young people had to experience.”
Her grandfather’s parents were killed in Germany and her grandfather was put into an orphanage.
“He didn’t remember a lot,” Amy said. “Later he migrated to Australia.”
Elise Bardell’s grandfather fought in both World War I and World War II. The family plans to travel to Weipa in June for a memorial service.
“He led a bunch of Aboriginal men around Papua New Guinea. I don’t know a lot about it yet but I’m going to find out,” Elise said.
Rhys Marquez, also in Year 10 at Port Macquarie High, said he enjoyed studying World War I and World War II. He is probably more typical of his age group when he admits: “I wouldn’t want to join the armed forces. I could never bring myself to go to war”.
“I do honour and respect those soldiers and their families and all the people who participate in Anzac events.”
