Editorial: Remembering our old soldiers has never been more important

Today marks 106 years since the end of World War I.

EDITORIAL

The “war to end all wars” ceased hostilities 106 years ago today, and while to many Kiwis that may seem an impossibly long time ago, in many ways, it’s never been more relevant.

With bloody conflicts grinding on in the Middle East and Ukraine without any end in sight, New Zealand will pause at 11am today to commemorate Armistice Day, which marks the end of World War I.

When it was announced at 3pm on August 5, 1914 that the fledgling nation of New Zealand was going to war on the other side of the world, patriotic young men cheered and rushed to sign up and do their duty.

There was a widespread belief victory over Germany would be a glorious cakewalk and they would all be safely “home by Christmas”.

Union Jacks waved and guns blasted in salute as troop ships left our ports to join Mother Britain in the fight against the “Boche”.

Nobody foresaw the terrible bloodshed and tragedy that lay ahead of them, and when the conflict ended four years later, there was little flag-waving.

More than 18,000 New Zealanders were killed, buried in foreign fields, and 41,000 were injured in the trenches of Gallipoli and Europe’s Western Front. Overall, more than nine million military personnel would be killed, while the civilian death toll was reportedly anywhere from six to 13 million.

Despite the street parties that would mark the end of the war on November 11, 1918, the war’s impact darkened almost every door in the country. With a population of just over one million in 1914, more than 10% served overseas. The “lucky ones” who came home were often never the same again, even if they escaped physical injuries, shell-shock – now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – was largely ignored and the thinking of the time was: “Just get on with it.”

It’s hard to imagine today the devastating toll the conflict had on the young country, especially when just a generation later they would return to war – this time against Hitler’s Germany and imperial Japan, with many thousands more Kiwis never to return home.

Anzac Day on April 25 is the public holiday most commonly observed as the national day of commemoration to our fallen servicemen and women.

Its resurgence in popularity, especially with younger generations, in recent years has been heartening to see, with dawn parades and services across Aotearoa attracting burgeoning and quietly patriotic crowds.

But today – at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month – is also a time to pause and reflect.

We will remember them. In our own individual ways, whether at home, in the car, at your desk or cafe, just take a moment and pay tribute and respect to the fallen – and to all our service personnel through history – who have served our country, home and abroad, kept us safe, and preserved the freedoms we are lucky enough to still enjoy.