Moruya has commemorated the ANZAC soldiers and all current and former servicemen and women for ANZAC Day 2022.
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It began in the cold, pre-dawn darkness as a group of people gathered together in Page Street, Moruya, outside the Moruya RSL Memorial Hall for the Dawn Service.
The Last Post was played as the crowd faced westward.
As the crowd pirouetted east for Reveille, the sun was just rising over the coast.
It was an opportunity for wreaths to be laid and to stand, in silence, to remember.
Traffic along the Princes Highway was halted at 11am for the ANZAC Day march through Moruya, ending outside the Memorial Hall for a commemorative service.
The crowd clapped as servicemen and women marched through the street.
A very special day
Last year Vince and Jenny Hoban celebrated ANZAC Day from their driveway in Sydney. Today they watched on from the crowd while on a trip visiting family in Tuross.
ANZAC Day is a "very special day" to Ms Hoban.
"It is lovely to stand shoulder to shoulder with people to celebrate," Ms Hoban said.
She enjoyed seeing children participating in the march, and watching from the footpaths.
"The legacy is being passed on to the kids," she said.
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For Mr Hoban, ANZAC Day is an emotional day. He was enrolled in the first round of national service in 1951, preparing to be deployed to North Korea. He is thankful his training was never used.
"ANZAC Day captures peoples' hearts and minds," Ms Hoban said.
"It is about self sacrifice and everyone understands self sacrifice.
"Self sacrifice is more important than ever as we get fragmented as a society.
"Self sacrifice unites all people no matter where you come from."
A chance to remember
As the official ceremony marched past Nicole and Ross Bartlett from Meringo remember.
For them, ANZAC Day is a significant moment to pause and reflect.
"There were so many sacrifices," Mr Bartlett said. "Men and women who never came back - buried all over.
"Their relatives may never be able to visit."
"They did it for the society we have now," Ms Bartlett said. "For the freedom we have now."
She said the event felt especially poignant with the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
"It's happening again," she said. "You would think we would learn."
Marching for my Pop
Michel Emery first marched in Moruya with her grandfather when she was 14 years old. She has travelled from down from Sydney every ANZAC day since to continue marching.
"I was just obsessed with Pop's army stories," she said.
In 2018, her Pop experienced a stroke the morning of ANZAC Day. When he died later that year, she was determined to keep the tradition alive. She marched alone in 2018, and has ever since.
She marched in Moruya today in memory of her Pop.
Her grandfather joined the army when he was 16.
He fought at Ruin Ridge in Egypt during World War II and was taken captive, transported as a prisoner of war to Italy, where he escaped through the Swiss Alps and eventually made it home safely to Australian shores.
He and his wife Enid moved to Tomakin more than 40 years ago.
"It is four hours each way from Sydney," Ms Emery said. "But I do it every year, for Pop."
Deserved recognition
Moruya local 'Southy' served in Vietnam and Korea.
Before arriving back on Australian shores, he was forced to change into civvies - civilian uniform on the boat.
"When we came back we got nothing," he said.
As a returned serviceman, he was shunned and outcast; society simply pretended he didn't exist.
"We fought for our country but our country did not fight for us," he said.
ANZAC Day is a very special occasion for him now. He rode in an army vehicle in the march, and said it was fantastic to be seen by the public.
"ANZAC Day is all about mates," he said.
It was true in 1915, and it is still true now.