Who do you think of on ANZAC Day?

The very title conjures images of faded photographs of young soldiers and pretty nurses, old battleships and tired horses. Most Australians have at least one family member who has been involved in the defence of Australia, do you?

My family have a long history with the Australian Defence Forces. My Dad served in the Navy for 20 years, two Uncles who served in Vietnam, my maternal Grandfather was a soldier in WW2 and my maternal Great-Grandfather was a soldier in WW1 and WW2. I was proud to continue this tradition when I joined the Navy at just 17 years old and had a successful career for nearly 15 years.

It might sound incredibly naive, but when I signed up I never envisaged that I would be required to enter any conflict, war or mission. So it was a big surprise to me when September 11 happened, especially considering I was shopping in a souk in Bahrain.

I was a member of HMAS Anzac and we had been patrolling the Persian Gulf; participating in Operation Damask, a multinational effort to enforce UN sanctions against Iraq. We had been at sea for a number of weeks beforehand and it was my first opportunity to go ashore and see a little of what the Middle East had to offer. A little after lunch time we noticed people were gathering around their television sets and while none of my group were able to understand the language, the images of the Twin Towers falling down were enough for us to give up the shopping quest and head back to the ship. We arrived back just in time as the ship was preparing to sail; ships are safer at sea than alongside.

I had time to make a five minute phone call to let me family know I was safe, I was on the ship and not to expect any news from me as our communications would be restricted until…well we just didn’t know.

I think it was scarier for my family than it was for me. I knew that I was okay but my family only knew what was on the news and the radio. While my family knew that the ships company was highly trained and experienced I’m sure they feared that we would be presented with something that we couldn’t overcome.

I didn’t think about that stuff. It wasn’t a conscious decision not to think; it was impossible to contemplate anything happening that we couldn’t deal with. The only control I had was ensuring that I did my job to the best of my ability, so that is what I did. Despite the ship returning to Australia safe and sound, to say it was a difficult time with some scary moments is an understatement. I must echo Forrest Gump here and say ‘that’s all I have to say about that’.

I was lucky to be back on-board HMAS Anzac again in 2005 for a visit to Gallipoli for the 90^th Anzac Day anniversary. To see the cliffs of Gallipoli from the sea was humbling; to imagine yourself in the shoes of those soldiers 90 years earlier was terrifying. At the moment of the landing the bravery and commitment to doing what they could do ensure the safety and security of their country must have been enormous. I strongly encourage all Australians to make the trek to Gallipoli at some time throughout their lives, the younger the better. To stand on the beach, to walk up and down those cliffs, to stand in the trenches that have been maintained, the walk between the gravestones where hundreds of soldiers fell within minutes of each other, to count the few years between the birth and death dates of the fallen men; it is an experience that is impossible to be put into words.

Today I remember the people in my family that gave years of their lives to defend our country in peacetime and in conflict, and I also remember visiting the gravestones in Gallipoli. I think of the feeling of futility they must have felt as the sun rose over the cliffs of what is now known as Anzac Cove. I remember the overwhelming sadness of so many young men, many still teenagers, dying on foreign soil.

I think of the families of the fallen sailors, soldiers and airmen and women.  Most families were not aware of the death until months later. Imagine not knowing if your child was still alive or not? I could not imagine the pain of losing your child and not knowing where they were buried.

I also remember the people that I served with. I think of the ADF personnel that are currently away from their families whether they are on active duty, taking part in peacekeeping activities or simply doing the job that is required. I didn’t think of it as sacrifice when I was doing it, I was too busy doing my job to think of it like that and I’m sure the majority of the ADF wouldn’t say they see it as that either. But it is a sacrifice. They are sacrificing time with their parents, their spouses, their children and their friends to be part of the team that ensures the security of our country.

Defence parents miss their child’s first steps, the first day at school, the high school formal or graduation because they have a commitment to something bigger than themselves. They miss funerals, weddings and birthdays. They sacrifice what they want right now for what they want for Australia.

I mentally thank those currently serving, for doing the job that I can no longer do. I thank the people in my family for giving up periods of their lives in defence of Australia, and I am grateful they stayed safe enough to come back to Australia to have families otherwise I wouldn’t be here!

I remember how blessed we are to live in a free country, where we are safe to practise our religious choices, where we can walk safely in our neighbourhoods, we have food and water, we have free education for all and a social system that supports every single person regardless of ability or need.

Who will you think of this ANZAC Day?

Image via CoolR / Shutterstock.com