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Wipe the sleep from your eyes - watch the dawn break and remember..

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eidsvold · 24/04/2008 22:13

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.

At almost 40yo I attended my first dawn service this morning. It was a moving experience - hearing the Last Post never fails to bring tears to my eyes. Whilst I knew and acknowledged the sacrifices made by men and women who went off to do what they thought was their duty and for those who stayed home and did what they felt was their duty, I never felt comfortable going as I felt it belonged to people who were remembering for very personal reasons. I would attend the marches later and the day and always volunteered to march with school groups when I was teaching.

However I have since learnt that I have a great great uncle - that my mother never knew about either - who died at Gallipoli. He died aged 25 from shrapnel wounds to the chest and a fractured spine. He died aboard a hospital ship and was buried at sea. His name is etched in the Lone Pine Memorial. This makes dawn on Anzac Day a little closer to home.

I don't know whether my great grandmother knew about what had happened to her brother BUT she was trying to raise my grandmother and brother whilst my great grandfather - a Frenchman - was off fighting ( for the AIF) in the middle east and on the Western Front.

So to my great great uncle - a life shortened by war - one wonders what might have been. For my great grandfather whose life was changed forever by what he saw and the horrible gas attack that he just managed to survive - thank you.

To my great grandmother who stayed strong to raise my grandmother and her siblings whilst her husband was away fighting and then throughout his tumultuous life (From what my mum says shell shock was probably a huge factor in the downward spiral of his life) A huge thank you.

I salute you all and the sacrifices you made.

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eidsvold · 25/04/2008 08:25

did anyone else watch the service from Villers Brettoneaux??

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