Stefan Bradley
It was a poignant, respectful and quiet return for the annual Anzac Day Dawn Service at Sale Cenotaph.
Hundreds gathered before the service began at 6am, with cooing babies and the speakers the only ones making a sound, in honour of those who couldn’t be there that day.
It was as if the one minute silence extended to the entire service, with “Lest we forget” one of the only times the crowd could be heard speaking.
Chaplain Nathan Runham prayed for those we have lost, noting that freedom comes at a cost.
Sale RSL president Marty Tanzer, who has been going to Dawn Services since the 1980s, also spoke about the catastrophic impacts of war.
“On Anzac Day today, we are reminded that war is destructive,” Mr Tanzer said.
“Combat is devastating, and human beings touched by it are affected physically, emotionally and spiritually.”
Mr Tanzer also acknowledged the sacrifices of those among the crowd who have returned from recent armed conflicts.
Following the address, the Sale Cenotaph stood tall during the one minute silence.
It was the first official Dawn Service in Sale since the pandemic began, with no service going ahead in 2020 and an informal event in 2021.
Mr Tanzer said it was pleasing to see a big crowd turn up to the Dawn Service.
“I hoped we would see a lot of people and we did, I believe I saw about 300-400 in the crowd,” Mr Tanzer said.
“This morning proved that when people can come out (after restrictions ease), they will come out.”
Mr Tanzer said that he wanted to remind people about the Kokoda Track campaign in his address.
“Everyone knows about Gallipoli, but most of us don’t know what happened on the Kokoda Track during the Second World War, which was when Australia was really threatened,” Mr Tanzer said.
“We weren’t threatened in the same way at Gallipoli, as that was the other side of the world, but we were threatened in 1942.
“In my personal opinion, we need to refocus on what happened during that time, without forgetting about Gallipoli.”
L to R: Warrant Officer Des Byrnes, Chaplain Nathan Runham, Group Captain Nigel Ward, Sale RSL President Marty Tanzer, Sale RSL Vice President Ross Jackson, Sale RSL Treasurer Des Fitzgibbon. Photo: Stefan Bradley
Warrant Officer Des Byrnes, Chaplain Nathan Runham, Group Captain Nigel Ward, Sale RSL president Marty Tanzer, Sale RSL vice-president Ross Jackson and Sale RSL treasurer Des Fitzgibbon.
Hundreds gathered at the Sale Cenotaph for the Anzac Day Dawn Service.
Photos: Stefan Bradley
The crowd during the Anzac Day Dawn Service in Sale.
Cool conditions greeted those people who attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Sale Cenotaph.
