Today John and Reena invited us to join them for a dawn service in Feilding at the Cenotaph.
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| The Cenotaph in Feilding at dawn |
On the 25th of April every year New Zealand honors the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli. The ANZAC landing occurred at dawn on April 25th 1915 and over 2,000 New Zealanders died at Gallipoli. The service now honors all veterans who died in service to their country. A very moving moment occurred when two young children came forward to lay a wreath in honor of their father who had died in Afghanistan. All branches of the military marched in with a band from Feilding followed by the war veterans including those from the Maori battalion. A high school student from Feilding gave a excellent speech wearing the medals of her grandfather who fought in World War II. A lone bugler
played the Last Post and the New Zealand Army performed a 21 gun salute. Everyone sang the national anthem and then the band played as everyone marched off down the street. A very moving ceremony of unity and remembrance. Kia Ora!
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| The band from Feilding |
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| The New Zealand Army |
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| 21 gun salute |
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