Thousands of people turned up in darkness for Auckland’s largest Anzac Day dawn service at the War Memorial Museum.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Mayor Phil Goff stood amongst veterans and servicemen and women on the steps of the museum for the service.
A heavy police presence was evident, with armed police circulating and officers looking down at the crowds through binoculars from the roof of the museum
Bagpipes began proceedings before Ardern began her speech by addressing the crowd in Māori, before going on to say Anzac Day “reminds us of so many things including loss and the service of others”.
“It also reminds us of a single truth during the ages – our shared humanity. Something we remember in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack.”
Ardern said it was the young people at the service who would keep those who had fallen remembered.
“We will always be a proud nation and one that doesn’t take our sense of service for granted,” she said.
Goff said Anzac Day was a day to remember family members that had been lost. “Today, on Anzac Day, we remember the courage, the resilience, the steadfastness and the readiness of our servicemen and women to give their lives.”
Ardern then laid a wreath on behalf of New Zealanders and Phil Goff did the same, representing the citizens of Auckland
The service featured a number of hymns and Kiwi singer Will Martin sang ‘Requiem for a Soldier’.
The service ended with a benediction and the veterans marched off the Court of Honour to applause from the crowd.
Suzanne Steenson attended the dawn service with her family, wearing her grandfather Les McLaren’s World War II medals.
She said her grandfather never talked about his wartime experience. “I think it did definitely affect him. He never spoke about it, he didn’t want to talk about it.”
She said it was special to be able to wear his medals and important to remember what people did in the past and what they sacrificed.
Hugh Sweeney was also at the dawn service, wearing the medals of his late father, also Hugh Sweeney, who fought in World War II.
Sweeney said his father never talked much about the war.
“He was one of those soldiers who only talked about the good things, the churches in Italy, the good looking women overseas but never about the actual fighting.
“He would never talk about the actual fighting.”
Sweeney said he had been to dawn services every year since his dad died in 1999.
Thursday morning’s service was Garry McAlpine’s first dawn service and he said it was “fantastic”.
He thought the integration of New Zealand and Australia into the service was particularly poignant, especially the singing of both national anthems.
“We always joke about Australians, but they are our brothers.”
McAlpine said his grandfather, George Pete, was shot in the arm in the Somme in France. He survived, and had the bullet removed six weeks later and preserved into a necklace.
McAlpine keeps the necklace on his wall at home as a reminder of how lucky he is to have lived to age 69 without being summoned to battle. “I don’t think it will ever happen to anyone who is 18 now.”
Lupe Faka’osifolau enjoyed the showcase of New Zealand culture at the dawn service. She said it was nice to hear words of support for the Christchurch shooting victims.
“It shows how united we are.” Aki Folau said she was interested in history and how people came about. “These people gave up their lives for us so we can have this privilege.”
-Stuff
Featured image: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke at the 2019 Anzac Day dawn ceremony at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF
