This morning our Members gathered to reflect and commemorate ANZAC Day.
Our Dawn Service was led by President Jack Lutze who addressed the ceremony as follows:
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Manly GC. And a special welcome to the service and ex-service men and women here this morning.
We are here to remember all those who fought for Australia and New Zealand since that day 109 years ago, when the Anzacs were landed on the beach on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. They fought gallantly for months in near impossible terrain in appalling conditions and suffered from dysentery and other crippling diseases. It is a milestone of special significance to all Australians, as the First World War helped to define us as people and as a nation. The principles of mateship, courage, and sacrifice exemplified by the Anzacs resonate deeply in contemporary society. Many still choose to go into military service with this ethos as the cornerstone of their avocation.
Only 23 years later the 2nd WW would again test the mettle of our people and this time with a real threat to territorial Australia. Not many realise how close we came to be invaded and it was only the successful Naval battles in the South Pacific and the fortitude of our soldiers in the jungles of New Guinea on the Kokoda trail that prevented it.
Since then we have participated in wars in Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and Afghanistan and the current conflicts in the Ukraine and the middle east are a reminder that we must be ever vigilant in preparing for the defence of Australia and that service and sacrifice will be required from our new generations.
If we reflect for a moment that it was Taiwan being invaded today and not Ukraine, it is very likely that Australia would be involved in a war that could very quickly spread to our shores.
But Anzac Day is more than just a remembrance of the past. In a world marked by uncertainty and division, the Anzac spirit serves as a guiding light, reminding us of the importance of unity, resilience, and compassion. And in today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, it is all too easy to lose sight of the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. Anzac Day provides us with a solemn reminder of the true cost of freedom and the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have served and continue to serve our nation.
Obviously not unique but we should remember that Manly Golf Club contributed much more than its fair share of its young members going off to war and some of course not returning and more pointedly some returning with real visible and many hidden mental injuries. On this day we will remember them.
Sadly mankind has yet to reach an intellectual level that collectively recognises the futility and stupidity of using warfare to resolve conflict. Until that day we will continue to rely on our dedicated service men and women to defend our way of life.
So today is a memorial for all those for whom war has meant suffering and loss. For all those whose experience of war still haunts them and for all Australians because we all should bear this burden. And I hope it will remind us that we all live in a great country dedicated to freedom and peace.
Lest we Forget.
