Turnout of young heartens veterans

Thousands of people turned out in Anzac Day commemorations throughout the country yesterday.

Crowds braved unseasonal heat in Christchurch, where veterans were touched by the growing numbers of young people attending the ceremony.

In Wellington, about 6000 people gathered near Parliament at 5.30am.

One long-time attendee at the service said it was the biggest turnout he had seen in 20 years.

Children and young adults made up a big part of the crowd.

Other services in the Wellington region attracted crowds of several hundred each.

The president of the Johnsonville Returned Services Association, Ray Marshall, said he was touched and heartened by the young faces in the crowd.

"Over the years, Anzac Day has changed. And it's for the better. We have to involve the younger generation so it's carried on."

Defence Force chief Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson said he believed attitudes to Anzac Day had changed in recent years.

"The willingness to share experiences is there now, where perhaps it never was with my generation."

It was important that younger generations recognised the contribution war veterans had made to their lives, he said.

"Look on them with pride, for they were once fit young men with their lives all before them.

"Their generation gave their youth, and in many cases their lives, for our future."

In Dunedin, a record crowd flocked to the Cenotaph.

Dunedin RSA president John Campbell "conservatively" estimated numbers at more than 7000.

Last year, officials described the turnout of 5000 as the largest in 50 years.

"I think we're at least 30 per cent up on last year," Mr Campbell said.

There seemed to be a lot young people, teenagers in particular.

"It was, in a word, wonderful."

People arrived early at the Cenotaph on a balmy morning to take up prime positions for the 40-minute service.

Three thousand programmes were printed, but shortly after 6am they were scarce.

Several hundred people took part in the march to the Cenotaph.

A sprinkling of young people wearing medals was clearly evident.

The two-gun salute signifying the start of the service activated many car and building alarms in the vicinity.

Guest speaker Air Force chief Air Vice-marshal John Hamilton told the crowd New Zealand should not take its freedom for granted.

"We do not have military because we want to use them," he said.

"We have them in case we need to use them."

- NZPA

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