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Remembrance Day – A Veteran’s Reflection

Every year on the 11th of November, the nation falls silent for one minute — a moment of deep reflection and gratitude known as Remembrance Day. It’s not just a date on the calendar or a ceremony marked by poppies and bugles; it’s a time to pause, to remember, and to honour the men and women who served and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today.

What Remembrance Day Is About

Remembrance Day marks the end of World War I, when, at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns finally fell silent on the Western Front. It was the moment that ended one of the deadliest conflicts in human history — a war that claimed over 60,000 Australian lives and wounded countless more.

But Remembrance Day has grown to represent much more than that. Today, it stands as a symbol of respect for all Australians who have served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions around the world. From Gallipoli to Kokoda, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, it honours not just those who never came home, but also those who did — forever changed by their experiences.

How We Honour Them

We wear a red poppy, a symbol born from the battlefields of Flanders, where bright flowers grew amid the devastation. We gather at cenotaphs and memorials, in small towns and big cities, united in silence. We hear the haunting sound of the Last Post, reminding us that those who served deserve eternal rest, and that their memory should never fade.

But perhaps the most important way to honour them is through how we live, by being kind, by helping others, by appreciating the peace and opportunity that their courage made possible.

Lest We Forget

Those three words — Lest We Forget — carry weight. They’re a promise. A promise that we will not forget the fallen, nor the lessons of the past. For veterans, for families, for every Australian — Remembrance Day is a moment to reflect on who we are and what we owe to those who came before us.

So this November 11th, when the clock strikes 11, take a minute. Close your eyes. Remember their names, their faces, and their sacrifice. Because remembering isn’t just something we do once a year, it’s something we carry in our hearts, always.

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