Touching tributes at Ōtorohanga

The message was clear on Anzac Day in Ōtorohanga: to best honour those who gave their lives at war, we must create a future they would be proud of.

The morning started before dawn, with a strong crowd standing proud in the brisk morning air for Ōtorohanga RSA’s service.

Attending the dawn service is an annual tradition for many. Others mentioned this being the first time they had attended in many years.

No serviceman was forgotten with a full list of the names of men who went to war from Ōtorohanga read during the service.

At the town’s mid-morning civil service, speeches reminded the hundreds-strong crowd what a privilege it was to live in a country not afflicted by war.

The service started on a note of gratitude from Harvest Church senior pastor and Ōtorohanga Community Board member Reverend Peter Coventry in his 20th year of delivering an Anzac Day speech.

“Every year we come to this time and names and faces wander unbidden across my mind. Friends of mine, this group of men standing in front of us today, every one of them has their own memories,” he said.

“Friends who didn’t come back, or who came back forever changed.”

Peter referred to Proverbs 17:17 – a friend loves at all times and a brother is born from times of adversity.

He said we today were not comfortable with adversity and in fact would go to great lengths to avoid it.

Instant coffee, instant knowledge and instant communication at the touch of a button were all examples of that, he said.

“But that’s a very recent development. Things were different for these men.”

Peter spoke of the extreme differences in temperatures, the food rations, rudimentary clothing and poor ablutions those who served in war endured – his own family included.

These men put their lives on hold, or lost them entirely, to secure our future.

“So, what is our response?

“Thank you. Tena koe. Tena koutou. Ngā mihi. Vinaka vaka levu. Fa’afetai tele lava. Malo aupito. Merci beaucoup. Domo arigatou. Baie dankie. Danke. Molte grazie. Gracias.”

Peter said no matter how many languages you said thank you in, it never really did justice to the sacrifice and adversity the Anzacs went through for us.

“But maybe we can honour them by the way we live; by the legacy we leave for those coming after us; by doing our very best to ensure that the values they protected with their lives, we cherish, uphold and hand on to those who follow.”

The morning was a special one for Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter, who had his father, mother and uncle – all aged in their 90s – present.

Max said his uncle had compiled letters from his father, Max’s grandfather, written during WWI which provided his family with a unique and personal insight into the experiences of soldiers.

“My grandfather’s words remind us that the decision to go to war is never an easy one, but it is often made from a sense of duty and a desire to protect our nation and its people.”

One letter told of how the soldiers were becoming used to seeing casualties, because they came into contact with hundreds if not thousands of dying men.

“It is only natural we should feel deeply for the loss of our friends with whom we have been associated for years,” Max’s grandfather wrote.

Max said as we took the time to reflect on the past, we must also acknowledge the devastation caused by present-day conflict.

“As the Mayor of Ōtorohanga I believe it is our duty to continue striving for peace and understanding, to work towards a world where conflicts are resolved without violence.

“Let us honour those who have fallen by committing to creating a better future for us all.”

Shane Carr of Ōtorohanga RSA took the opportunity to recall being taken to dawn services as a child – rugged up in a woollen jersey, woolly hat and gloves.

He said he, like many New Zealanders today, did not know of any family members who had fought on the beaches of Gallipoli or the muddy fields of the Somme.

“And yet, like all of us, I am better for all that they have done.”

The actions of New Zealand and Australian forces in those battles had created the Anzac legend, Shane said, characterised by courage, tenacity, initiative, determination and the spirit of heroism.

That legend lives on today and has become part of the two countries’ ethos, he said.

Shane said Anzac Day was a time for all to remind themselves of the preciousness of peace.

“As a New Zealander, I stand here in awe of what those who went before have given me, because every Kiwi, regardless of whether we have a direct link with those who wore the uniform or not, whether you were born here or immigrated, is a recipient of their sacrifice.

“It is because of them that we, those who are left to grow old, will continue to live in a country at peace – a prosperous country, a place where we are each free to vote, we choose our own paths through life, we marry whom we please.”

The bugle, which has become synonymous with Anzac Day for many, is not a call to the dead, Shane told the crowd.

Rather, it is a call to the living:

“That we might use the threads of their sacrifice to strengthen the fabric of this nation; that we might live our lives with the same courage, the same dignity.

“That we might be imbued with fairness and compassion for those less fortunate than ourselves and set an example for the next generation of children, wrapped up against the cold and dark of the morning.”