WE WILL BE THERE

We have covered many many Dawn Parades and the impact is always the same. Lump in the throat and a tear in the eye. Grandad was a victim of the war, he had a injury that was credited with killing him on his return to Stewart Island. He died leaving my grandmother with six young children, one a toddler. On my other familial side I lost uncles.
One of the saddest stories I every wrote was a story of a good friend and kaumatua who had lost her brother in the second world war at the hands of the Japanese. Two days after the Japanese surrendered the soldiers at the Changi prison camps took some some men down to the beach and beheaded them.
When the Japanese were brought to justice they committed suicide before they could be tried.

So these days, Anzac services are a good way to think of what men and women did in different times to protect the nation they loved.

So this Anzac Day we will be off to Tinui. It is the home of the first Anzac Day Dawn parade. Its just over the hill so to speak. So next Saturday we will make the short pilgrimage to the place where we will all join together to show our respect to those who lay down their lives for us.