ANZAC Day 2013

One of many services held across the country, the Cronulla march started at 5.00am accompanied by hundreds of local residents, stopping at the war memorial for a brilliant speech by a WWII RAAF officer who survived four years as a Lancaster bomber pilot over Europe and later in Vietnam. Now aged over 90, he spoke clearly, without hesitatation, repetition or cliché.  As part of the talk, he described the local beaches in war-time--covered in barbed wire, with no public access. A strange picture for us.

He -Eric Barton- denounced the glorification of war and the mindlessness of losing so many mates but reminded us that living in a stable democracy is worth fighting for, when it is threatened by totalitarianism and he concluded by encouraging everyone to use our democratic freedoms wisely and compassionately. It was an inspiring talk.

About 100 of our scout troop and leaders attended-followed by a bacon and egg 'butty' barbeque at Shelley Beach, in the dawn sunlight.