His Excellency Mr David Dunn, British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea"At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them" part of the ode repeated all over the world on ANZAC Day and other memorial services throughout the year. As we gather for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service this year, young and old together witness the first rays of sunlight illuminating the row upon row of the immaculately maintained Commonwealth War graves, let us reflect upon the huge debt of thanks we owe those lying at peace in Papua New Guinea.
These young men from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, Papua New Guinea, and the UK fought and died together in the defence of common values, democracy and friendship. They died fighting for each other but also fighting for us. For without their sacrifice we would not enjoy the freedoms and lifestyle that we have today.
As I walk around the war graves in PNG I am struck by the young age of the men at rest and I am filled with a sense of humble gratitude, sadness and an overwhelming feeling of what might have been? How many future fathers, husbands, sportsmen, scientists, inventors and even perhaps Prime Ministers lie shoulder to shoulder in PNG? So many young lives, hopes and dreams cut short before they had really begun. This is the real cost of war.
So at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. We will remember their courage and valour; we will remember their sacrifice and the families and loved ones they left behind; we will remember the folly and tragedy of war and all those who have lost their lives and been injured in past and current conflicts.
But above all else we must remember that they did it for us.
After the ANZAC Day Service the British High Commission will be informally laying individual flowers on the 463 un-named UK graves at the Bomana Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. Anyone attending the dawn service on Saturday is most welcome to join us.
These young men from Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, Papua New Guinea, and the UK fought and died together in the defence of common values, democracy and friendship. They died fighting for each other but also fighting for us. For without their sacrifice we would not enjoy the freedoms and lifestyle that we have today.
As I walk around the war graves in PNG I am struck by the young age of the men at rest and I am filled with a sense of humble gratitude, sadness and an overwhelming feeling of what might have been? How many future fathers, husbands, sportsmen, scientists, inventors and even perhaps Prime Ministers lie shoulder to shoulder in PNG? So many young lives, hopes and dreams cut short before they had really begun. This is the real cost of war.
So at the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. We will remember their courage and valour; we will remember their sacrifice and the families and loved ones they left behind; we will remember the folly and tragedy of war and all those who have lost their lives and been injured in past and current conflicts.
But above all else we must remember that they did it for us.
After the ANZAC Day Service the British High Commission will be informally laying individual flowers on the 463 un-named UK graves at the Bomana Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. Anyone attending the dawn service on Saturday is most welcome to join us.
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