MORE than a century on from the armistice which signalled the beginning of the end to The Great War, the significance of Remembrance Day is still being pushed as heavily as ever.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a conflict where in excess of 60,000 soldiers were killed, and a further 156,000 were injured or taken prisoner - which was approximately 51.8 per cent of those that enlisted and 4.4 per cent of the nation's entire population - Australians showed their bravery and fought for their beliefs, freedoms and rights.
At an event at the Muswellbrook Cenotaph on Monday, November 11, those soldiers were remembered and respects were paid.
It has been 101 years since the aforementioned armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and local RSL-sub Branch vice-president Peter Houlahan said it was still crucial to think about those who served in all wars.
"It's all about remembrance for those who didn't return, which digs deep because I lost five mates out of one platoon in Vietnam," he explained.
"I think the younger ones have got to remember, as long as we keep commemorating it and remembering the people who sacrificed their lives for us and the freedom we've got today."
He was pleased that some members of the later generations made the effort to attend the event on Monday morning, and was pleased with the turnout although admitted it was difficult to get the same amount of people as last year, given it was the centenary and on a weekend.