Anzac Day is always an emotional day for the country with so many Australians responding to the call to duty from the Boer War and First World Wars to more recent conflicts like the Gulf War and Afghanistan. (And we should never forget the many valuable “peace keeping operations” that have been performed by the ADF in locations like East Timor and the Soloman Islands.)
Whenever conflict has threatened, Island residents have stepped forward. During World War I, nine Islanders volunteered; then twenty-five served during World War II in all three branches of the armed services – army, navy and air force.
Islander service personnel also fought in the Malayan Emergency, Vietnam War, and in Afghanistan. We remember them and thank them for their extraordinary sacrifices.
Sadly, we said goodbye to two Islanders who passed away in April – Dulcie King, and Eddie Gowen. We will miss them dearly. Communities that remember and cherish past members also bring their present members closer together. We should always strive for greater community cohesion as that delivers a better future for all of us.
ED. Stephen Sia
Stephen Sia on Lord Howe Island