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In light of the ongoing social distancing measures, national veteran support agency Soldier On will be hosting a virtual live-streamed service this Saturday, 25 April.
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The event is open to veterans, their families, and the wider community. It will be streamed at the Soldier On website, which can be located at the following link: www.soldieron.org.au.
The Soldier On commemorative service will incorporative traditional readings, the laying of the wreath, a commemorative address by Governor General David Hurley, AC, DSC, ‘The Last Post’ by the Band of the Royal Military College, and a new rendition of I was only 19 by Shannon Noll.
This year, Australians across the country will be commemorating Anzac Day in new ways – at home and on their driveways. Traditional public Anzac Day services, events and parades have either been cancelled or moved online where possible, due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Chief executive of Soldier On, Ivan Slavich, said Australians can still stand united, while maintaining social distancing this Anzac Day.
“Australians are facing new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Anzac tradition – the ideals of courage, endurance and mateship are still relevant today," he said.
"We can show our support for veterans and unite, whilst staying home. Our service aims to give people the chance to join together in a different way, by viewing the virtual service to commemorate veterans, past and present, online from home.
“I’d like to encourage all Australians to show their support for veterans this Anzac Day, in whatever way they can. Whether it’s by standing on the end of their driveway at dawn, tuning in to a radio or television broadcast, viewing the Soldier On commemorative service online, or learning more about the veteran community by reading the personal experiences of WWI veterans and contemporary service personnel on our ‘In Their Honour’ commemorative page on our website.”
The service will be streamed on the Soldier On website from 6am Saturday, 25 April, following the broadcast by the ABC of the Australian War Memorial National Service at 5am. The public will be able to view the Soldier On commemorative service on the Soldier On website, as well as from the ‘Driveway at Dawn’ app, developed by the ‘Aussies and Kiwis for Anzacs’ Facebook group. The app will also stream a ‘105 Songs for 105 Years’ concert on Anzac Day afternoon.
As part of Soldier On’s ‘In Their Honour’ campaign, Australians are being invited to read the post-service accounts of our WWI veterans, as provided by the Australian War Memorial, alongside personal stories from veterans of today who are ambassadors for Soldier On. The campaign encourages Australians to show their support for the veteran community by reading about veteran’s experiences online, sharing messages and memories using the hashtag #InTheirHonour and donating to Soldier On to support today’s veterans and their families.
The veterans experiences can be read at: www.soldieron.org.au/commemorate/their-stories.
