Traditional services and marches will be cancelled on Anzac Day this year due to coronavirus measures; however a reflection on the spirit of Anzacs is as necessary as ever, even though efforts to obliterate threats against our lives have moved from the battlefields to hospitals.
Steve Kyritsis OAM, President of the Hellenic RSL, said that the group won’t be marching for the first time in 40 years but invited people to still show they remember the sacrifices that have been made.
“What I suggest to all our members and every one in our Community on the morning of 25 April, at 6am to stand to, in front of their driveways, or on the footpath for one minute silence in remembrance of all the Anzacs that died in World War One,” he said.
“We might not be marching this year, but we will remember all the Anzacs in spirit and in our hearts, of their service and sacrifice.”
Mr Kyritsis is not the only one who believes that Anzacs should be remembered regardless of Coronavirus restrictions.
Australian jazz musician James Morrison called on musicians, professional and amateurs, to play the Last Post at 6am in their driveways on Anzac Day “in the name of mateship”.
In a viral Facebook video, he said that “we can still stand united in spirit”.
Anzac Day unites all Australians, regardless of racial background or religion as we remember how Australia, a young nation of five million people, sent 332,000 soldiers to support England, the country’s mother nation and Allies. Of these, 80 Greek Australians also enlisted to serve their new country. Around 47 of these were born in Greece, and specifically came from Athens, Piraeus, Kythera, Sparta, Cyprus, Lamia, Patra, Crete, Corinth, Samos, Kastellorizo, Nafplion, Kefalonia, Lefkada, Macedonia and Thessaloniki. Their occupations varied from working in the railways, labourers, salesmen, cooks, waiters, shop assistants, farmers, barmen, miners, musicians, firemen, bakers, carpenters, fruiterers, a telegraphist, a bank clerk, a seaman, an engine driver and a hairdresser. The oldest to enlist was Alexandros Demas, aged 44, born in New South Wales in 1872.From the 12 Greek Australians that served in Gallipoli, Peter Rados was born in Athens and was aged 24. He was the only Greek Australian recorded to have died in Gallipoli on 19 May 1915. The other nine Greek Australians that died in the Australian Forces were killed in France and Belgium from 1916-1917. A total of 27 Greek Australians were wounded in action in World War One.
READ MORE: Greek veterans marched with the Hellenic RSL for Anzac Day
For years, the Hellenic RSL has marched to honour these soldiers, and all soldiers of Greek and Australian origin who have fought for our basic liberties.
If anything, the coronavirus crisis has reminded us of exactly how fragile these liberties are and why they deserve to be remembered.
Livestreamed services
Apart from standing in driveways, Australians are urged to watch the Anzac dawn services, closed to the general public, as they are livestreamed.
From 5:30am local time you can watch the National Dawn Service on ABC TV, the ABC Australia Facebook page, and also on the ABC Australia YouTube channel.
Local Anzac services across the country will be broadcast on ABC local radio.
Melbourne, Shrine of Remembrance: Dawn Service 6:10am-6:30am
Adelaide, National War Memorial: Dawn Service 6:30am-7:00am
Sydney, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park: Morning service 10:00am-10:30am
At 11:30am local time, a two-minute reflection video will be live-streamed across all ABC local radio Facebook pages and on the ABC News Facebook page.
This reflection will include The Ode and Last Post, followed by a one-minute silence to mark when the first Australian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915.
READ MORE: Jim Claven’s ‘Lemnos and Gallipoli Revealed’ captures the ANZAC spirit