By REBECCA BILLS
ACROSS the nation, thousands met to spend two minute’s silence, remembering the men and women who have served our nation.
With the words honour and remember setting the sombre tone of Remembrance Day, community members and leading figures turned out in force to pay their respects on Monday at the Mount Evelyn Memorial Garden.
Joining the army in 2000 and spending 11 years in full and part time roles as a combat engineer, Mount Evelyn Township Improvement Committee chairman David Meadth spoke on the relevance past wars hold for the youth of today.
“We live in a time of war on terror, a time of disguised motives, a time of apathy and distraction, we live in an age with infinite access to information both current and historical, thus making ignorance a choice,” he said.
“If today’s youth fail to remember the price that was paid in blood, treasure and destruction almost 100 years ago, not to mention that lost since, then they too may pay for that ignorance.
“We must honour and remember, but never forget and never repeat.”
Mount Evelyn Primary School, Birmingham Primary School and Saint Mary’s Primary School came together in song to pay tribute to the fallen diggers of Mount Evelyn.
Yarra Ranges deputy mayor Maria McCarthy said it was good to see students had some ownership of the event with a firm understanding of what the day was about.
“It’s a day where our residents who did and didn’t come back from the war can be remembered,” she said.
Mount Evelyn Returned Services Leagues (RSL) president Rodger Boness said it was the RSL’s responsibility to ensure the community had access to these remembrance services.
“We don’t like conflict, but we live in a free and safe country because of those who have served in past conflicts and it’s absolutely imperative that we never forget those who have their lives for our country,” he said.
