As ANZAC Dawn Broke

About 500 Cambridge citizens commemorated ANZAC Day’s dawn parade, solemnly standing in the early morning mist remembering our fallen countrymen and relatives. Lest we forget.

A moving ceremony was held in the town square where Rev Canon Adrian Gover led the Dawn Service as the Last Post echoed across the town. “Loss of young lives during wars has cut deeply. A swathe of loss has cut across our country and through our families. We must never send our young men and women overseas to fight wars again,’ he said.

Winston Churchill said, “What have we learned from War? We haven’t”

About ten remaining War Veterans and other RSA representatives stood to attention in the centre of the square as the guard of honour marched to the Cenotaph. Family members wearing medals from awarded to their brave relatives were encouraged to stand with the War Veterans and sing the New Zealand and Australian National Anthems.

Afterwards the crowd silently walked to the Cenotaph, where the New Zealand flag was at half-mast, and placed poppies at the feet of the statue to honour our fallen soldiers. A memorable and moving experience for everyone and a reminder of the price paid for our democratic freedoms.

By Author Nicky Webber, writer of No Ordinary Man.

nicky@how.co.nz or search nickywebbernz on Facebook.