ANZAC Day services were well attended in Cootamundra with Danny Whitehead, President of the Cootamundra RSL Sub Branch, happy with the large turn out.
“We had a Dawn Service first, remembering the 110th Anniversary since the landings in Gallipoli. It was also 85 years since the completion of World War II and 75 year Anniversary of the Korean War and the Malaya emergency.
“We had a wonderful turnout and there were children present as well. “School children attend the mid-day ceremony and it is also helped along with readings from the school principal, school captains and the like.
“The March started at 10.30 down at the Ex-Services Club and we walk up to the Cenotaph. We don’t have any veterans from World War II, but we still have some Vietnam Veterans, some Afghanistan (I served in Afghanistan, Iraq and three tours of Timor). I was blessed enough to have three of the guys that I took to Afghanistan because I was a Section Commander. I had three of my privates from 15 years ago turn up to spend the day with me. It was really special.
“There’s numerous Afghanistan Veterans and Iraq Veterans in our area. Brad Giddings and I served together both in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What would you like to say for the paper about how you want this commemoration to continue and what you’d like to see the community do for veterans?
“First of all, I think doing things for Veterans, and support the ex-service organisations which is the RSL Sub Branch. I’d encourage any other ex-serving members out there to join the Sub Branch because that’s how we keep these memorials and services going is through working together and volunteering to the community. I love how much you get people here in Cootamundra involved from the Daycare Centre, through the schools and all the others like the sporting clubs, we get helped out by the Strikers immensely, we have a really good report with them.
Cootamundra’s Drop in Centre in Parker Street, opposite where Woolies is has been operating for over two years now. It’s open Wednesday through to Saturday 10 am to 2 pm.
“It’s always the same people that man the Hub, so it would be great to see different ones. We have our stalwarts, the keystones of making this organisation work.
-Robyn Atherton
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