By YASEMIN TALAT
ANZAC Day is a time for Aussies young and old to join in solemn remembrance and reflect on those who fought for the freedom of our nation.
Williamstown resident and war veteran James Anthony Moloney was only 19 years young when he enlisted in the army at the outbreak of World War II.
Upon completing infantry training in Mount Martha, Mr Moloney was deployed to different places including Western Australia, Queensland, Cape York, New Guinea, Bougainville and then to Japan.
“I think probably the thing that affected me most was when I went to Japan, I went to Hiroshima we were camped not very far away from there, and it really affected me to see the destruction of the place,” Mr Moloney said of his deepest memory.
“I think from memory it was only a train – it was the only thing in the town the whole place was absolutely flattened.”
Mr Moloney was the youngest of 10 children and found it difficult to leave his big family behind, especially his mother who he held so dearly.
“When I first went into the army I think it was pretty lonely for me for the first few days because you don’t know anybody,” he said.
“It’s a bit like somebody going away to a boarding school isn’t it?”
“But you get over that after a while because you have to do your duties and everybody was the same.”
For the first time ever Mr Moloney has become a member of the local RSL, where he will spend this Anzac Day with his family and other war veterans remembering the lives of so many lost at war.
“It’s a very sad day actually,” he said of Anzac Day.
“It’s affected families right through, even down to great grandchildren going along with their grandfathers medals on.”
Mr Moloney recently moved back to his home roots in Williamstown after spending the past 49 years living in Brighton where he took care of his now deceased wife.
“I was born in Williamstown so I’ve done a full circle, I’ve come back again,” he joked.
The Moloney family has a rich family ancestry of service people and two of his grandchildren are currently serving.
A dawn service will be held at the cenotaph in Williamstown at 5.30am on Thursday 25 April followed by a breakfast at Williamstown RSL and an afternoon game of two-up.
