War veterans hold memorial service

Australian Defense Attache Captain Vaughn Rixon, second from left, accepts a wreath at the Anzac Day Dawn Service held at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on Monday. / Courtesy of John Redmond

By John Redmond

War veterans, distinguished guests and top military personnel assembled to pay their respects at the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the War Memorial of Korea in central Seoul, Monday.

The term Anzac refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that fought against the Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli during World War I.

Anzac Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, has been observed every April 25 since the official naming of the day in 1916. It commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations,” the event organizer said in a press release.

Alongside WWII and Korean War veterans from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, special guests included Turkish Defense Attache Colonel Osman Doganbey, New Zealand Defense Attache Group Captain Rod Fortune, Australian Ambassador Bill Paterson, New Zealand Minister of Veterans Affairs Craig Foss and Australian Defense Attache Captain Vaughn Rixon.

The dawn service comprised welcome remarks, a Mount of the Color Guard, prayers, addresses by invited guests and the reading of the poem, “Commemoration to the Fallen” read by Australian middle school student Rene Eggeleston, the laying of a wreath, a minute of silence and a blessing.

What was clearly missing from the meaningful event were the three national anthems of Australia, New Zealand and Korea, usually performed by the brass section of the Eighth U.S. Army Band of the USFK and the “Last Post” played on a trumpet that precedes the minute of silence.

This omission, though not scheduled and highly out of context, did not dampen the mood of the occasion even though the closing remarks by Captain Rixon alluded to this being a non-musical Anzac Day service.

The musicians were scheduled to participate elsewhere on that day, performing Sunday at the Gapyeong Memorial Service.