It's a national day of remembrance naturally, but with me it's always a personal day where I remember my dad and uncles, aunts, grand parents, great uncles and great aunts who served in the two world wars.
Dad served in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy from 1939 to 1945 in The Divisional Cavalry operating out of light tanks, bren-carriers and Staghounds.
I used to accompany Dad to Dawn Parades in Wellington - just me as my siblings were too lazy to get out of bed that early.
Keeping an eye out for snipers |
This afternoon I'll go to the local club for the 2PM service. It's OK, not as evocative and haunting as the Dawn Parades I remember but there will be a piper and a bugler (not some guy playing a nose trumpet like you saw on Robert's blog).
I'll have a coffee laced with rum and maybe an ANZAC biscuit or two,
Yep, I'll remember them - or some of them.