I went to the local dawn service last Saturday morning to convey my respect. Redgum’s I Was Only 19 played over the loudspeaker and it occurred to me that most of our oldest vets now, served in Vietnam. Gallipoli, the Western Front in France and Belgium were among the battles mentioned in the ceremony, as well as Greece, Northern Africa and Palestine. Did you know that there are 263 gravestones for Anzacs in Gaza, and that Israel bulldozed the cemetery destroying headstones and burying graves under soil?
Paying respect to those who’ve sacrificed their lives is not a patriotic concept to me, it’s a matter of humanity. It’s a day of mourning. It’s an opportunity to again learn from history so that we don’t let it happen again. I have no interest in 2 Up or getting pissed at 8am, it seems like a bastardisation of a sacred day - but I understand many returned servicemen and women and their families don’t necessarily feel that way. Who am to judge? When we (the herd) connected with Vietnam vets for our cover of I Was Only 19 - their anti-war conviction was more staunch than any activist I’d met. It taught me that we find common ground in unexpected places. That common ground feels more vital to our survival now than ever.
