Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester had the privilege of laying a wreath at the Sale RSL ANZAC Day service on Friday, which was attended by a huge crowd of serving personnel, veterans, families and interested community members.
Mr Chester also attended the ANZAC Day Dawn Service in Lakes Entrance and the annual ANZAC Day commemorative football netball round between Traralgon and Morwell at the Traralgon Recreation Reserve.
“I believe Anzac Day is the most important event on our national calendar because it’s our chance to say ‘thank you’ to all who have served and continue to serve today to keep us safe in an ever-changing world,” Mr Chester said.
“At its core, Anzac Day is all about respect.
“Respect for the fallen. Respect for their families. Respect for the men and women who continue to serve today.
“It’s also about acknowledging the freedoms we enjoy today have come at an enormous personal cost to others, and we must never take that service and sacrifice for granted.
“Whether it’s wars, conflicts, peace-keeping missions, or humanitarian aid and disaster relief, they are dangerous tasks that expose people to the risk of injury and take them away from the people they love.
“So when we gather at a dawn service or a local march, we are helping to keep our nation’s promise to remember the fallen and to give thanks.”
Throughout his time as a Parliamentarian, Mr Chester has visited ADF personnel on many deployments and represented Australia at commemorative services on the Western Front and throughout Southeast Asia, which has reinforced his view that we can all be proud of their service and we must share their stories, and never forget the hideous cost of conflict.
“We can all do our best to honour all those who have served with the way we choose to live our lives every day by committing ourselves to peace and freedom and the protection of those who can’t defend themselves,” Mr Chester said.
“Our Australian Defence Force must continue to receive the training, equipment and support it needs, and our veterans and families must always receive the assistance of a grateful nation.
“Anzac Day is about recognising and respecting the enduring values of loyalty, courage, honesty and mateship that have helped to make Australia the great country it is today.
“We will remember them. Lest we forget.”
