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ARMIDALE LOOKED BLEAK in the misty, early morning rain. The radio announcer was giving details of the Anzac Day ceremonies; it was the day, he said, when 'the nation remembers its dead'. Is that what really happens? In various forms of ceremonial and memorial the nation might honour those who have suffered and died in its cause, but true remembrance must always be personal, individual, reserved for those who have felt the loss of comrades or loved ones. For everyone else Anzac Day is an opportunity to reflect on Australia's role in past wars, on the deeds of its men and women, and to consider the nation's future. Remembrance and reflection are at the heart of the Anzac Day observance. The joggers, persistent in their daily ritual, the weatherproofed golfers, and the men loading sheep at the saleyards may all have been remembering or reflecting in their own way, but for around one hundred people at the Dangarsleigh memorial, Anzac Day demanded a public gesture. |
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