Strong support for Anzac Day

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 434, 28 April 1992, Page 1

Strong support for Anzac Day

BY

JOHOWIE

Waiouru Army units, returned sevicemen and families gathered for the ANZAC Day Dawn Memorial Service on Saturday. The service was held at the Waiouru Flag Station, and another service was held at Ilam at the Army museum. On Friday,24 April, the Waiouru Primary School held a special ANZAC Service assembly at 1 1 am and part of the junior school visited the museum. A number of the Waiouru Units paraded away from Waiouru on Anzac Day. Navy personnel based at HMNZS Irirangi went to Ohakune, the Officer Cadet School went to Taupo, Central Q and Ordnance went to Raetihi, RNZ EME Workshops went to Taihape, ATG Transport and Catering went to Taumarunui, and School of Transport and Catering went to Turangi. The Army Training Group Memorial Service started at 6 am with prayers and readings by the Waiouru Chaplains, followed by an address by the Commander of Army Training Group, Colonel Clive Sinclair." This was followed by the firing of volleys, the Last Post, a minute's silence, and reveille. Wreaths were laid by representatives from the RSA, Army Training Group, HMNZS Irirangi, Australian Defence Force, Malaysian Armed Forces, Officers Mess, SNCO's Mess, JNCO's Mess, RSA women section, and private personnel. The service ended with a prayer in Maori and Turnpage2

Strong support for Anzac Day

From page 1 Benediction. After the service all ranks and families were invited to the 800-man Mess for breakfast.

years ago, but to pay tribute to those soldiers, sailors, airmen and nursing sisters who on the first ANZAC day v'conferred a glory on New Zealand and Australia, that will never fade. He went on to say that there are many who question the relevance of observing ANZAC day so many years after the battle at Gallopoli took place. "No doubt with the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and with an assumption of the threat of nuclear war diminishing, as a result a real danger may emerge in future of too

many becoming complacent - too many believing because of our isolation, the fact we are well out of harm's way, that New Zealand faces no real danger in the future." "We may be safe, may be there is no real danger, but can we be sure?" He said he remains

firmly convinced this country needs to be part of a strong defence alliance. The guest speaker was Lieutenant Chris Wilson from Waiouru Army Training Group, who spoke about past soldiers compared with the soldiers of today. Present day soldiers

need to be prepared to meet any crisis and should seek wider knowledge of yesteryear soldiers, he said. The march was led by the Waiouru Army Training Group to the Maori and the Raetihi Lawn cemeteries and wreaths were laid at both.