By BRIDGET COOK
THOUSANDS united in solemn remembrance, gratitude and national pride on Friday as they paid tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
In what seemed like record crowds, people young and old packed services on Anzac Day at Cranbourne, Pearcedale, Narre Warren and Berwick.
Not a murmur could be heard from the packed crowd at the Cranbourne Dawn Service as the sounds of the bugler played out before a minute’s silence.
Later in the day, hundreds of people lined High Street Cranbourne for the Anzac Day march and short service to follow at the cenotaph site.
Speaking at the Dawn Service, Dandenong Cranbourne RSL sub-branch vice-president Bill Shepherd said time dimmed the memory of ordinary events, but not so with great events and that was the case with Anzac Day.
“Great events, whether in peace or war, live in our hearts and memories regardless of time,” he said.
“They are deemed great not necessarily by what they achieve, nor whether they were a victory or success. Rather, great events are distinguished by the quality of the human endeavour they called upon or the examples they create for ordinary men and women and the legends they inspire.
“So it is with Anzac Day.”
Mr Shepherd said Anzac Day was not only about remembering those who fought and lost their lives at Gallipoli, but all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the conflicts to follow and those currently in the defence force.
“Duty, patriotism, individual sacrifice, and the affirmation of the Australian and New Zealand relationship are the endeavouring legacies of Gallipoli and all subsequent conflicts involving our two nations,” he said.
“They all understood the values of independence, freedom and fairness and, above all those, had the willingness to defend those things when need be.
“Because freedom only survives as long as people are willing to defend it.
“That is the spirit the Anzacs handed down to us.
“If we lose that Anzac spirit, we lose all.”
A number of schools across Casey also held Anzac Day services, including Alkira Secondary College which hosted a commemorative service on Monday.
Students read out poems and prayers, sang hymns and laid tributes at the ceremony attended by representatives from RSLs and local MPs and other organisations.
The school’s VCAL students then attended Hillsmeade Primary School later in the day to run a service for the primary aged students.
