ANZAC Day 2020 Remembrance

Unfortunately the current Corona virus has prevented us from gathering this year on the shores of Lake Union for our ANZAC Day Dawn Service and our gathering of the Australian, New Zealand and Turkish communities in peace and understanding to respect and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in war.  Even though we cannot be together to honor our comrades and mates we can all observe this day of remembrance in our own way.

The dawn services in Australia and New Zealand are not manned by thousands of people who come to pay their respects but rather by loan buglers who herald the dawn this year and the eerie quiet that accompanies it is ominously silent.

To all my Aussie and Kiwi friends in Seattle, let us take a moment to pause and reflect and to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our countries.

Under these difficult times it is worth taking a note from the Australian Prime Minister’s ANZAC day speech as it applies equally to all Aussies and Kiwis;

“This year, the lesson of Anzac Day is that when Australians (& Kiwis) support each other, as they have in generations past, we can withstand any hardship and overcome any enemy, including this virus that threatens us today.”

Stay safe and healthy and perhaps we can gather later to remember and reflect on this 2020 ANZAC day.

Len Reid,

President ANZAS Seattle