By DANNY BUTTLER
A CENTURY to the day since Diggers first waded ashore at Gallipoli, their fellow war veterans and those who will never forget marched in their honour at Kooweerup.
In the still pre-dawn, Kooweerup RSL members led the march down the rain-soaked Avenue of Honour, which was opened in time for this year’s Anzac Day ceremonies.
For some, it was the highlight of the day – a solemn moment in which the ghosts of the fallen seemed to march in time with old soldiers from later wars.
By 6am, the marchers joined the hundreds of people who had gathered around the cenotaph for the dawn service.
With a lone bagpipe filling the air with its ancient sound of battle and mournful cry of loss, the crowd stood hushed and respectful while darkness turned slowly to dim light.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Corey O’Callaghan, who returned home to Kooweerup for the day, was impressed with the number of people who turned out on a cold drizzling morning and the level of understanding they showed.
“It was very respectful and it was a wonderful ambience,“ he said.
“There’s a lot more people here this year, which is good.“
Brothers Frank and Roger Ferguson both served in Vietnam and remembered the poor treatment they received when they returned home from the war.
Watching the people flood into the dawn service, they both noted how times had changed for the better.
“I was spat at when I got home,“ Roger said.
“Now it’s getting bigger every year and people show their support.“
Barry Hester is another Vietnam veteran who has been moved by the change in attitude towards returned soldiers from the South East Asian war.
“It’s always a welcome sight to see so many people support the soldiers,“ the Cora Lynn man said.
“We never saw a welcome crowd when we came home.“
For Kooweerup RSL president Ron Ingram, the day was a culmination of much planning and hard work by many in the RSL and wider community.
“It was bloody fantastic,“ he said.
“Everyone is saying it’s two or three hundred up on last year.“
For Ron, who served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, having so many young people at the ceremony was particularly gratifying.
“People have become more interested because of the centenary of Gallipoli and there are a lot of kids who are interested, which is great to see.“
