THOUSANDS who gathered at Cleveland for the Anzac Day dawn service were told that bravery and mateship shown by soldiers at Gallipoli and in other wars has become emblematic of the Australian nation.
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Just before dawn, diggers marched line abreast through honour guards of army, navy and airforce cadets to the cenotaph.
Crowds of people stood silently on a beautiful autumn morning to honour men and women of the armed forces.
Vietnam veterans bearing the lines of age marched proudly alongside young men and women who served in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Redland RSL president Alan Harcourt said the stories of the Anzacs through their victories and defeats had helped build the broader Australian spirit.
Redlands, then a sparsely settled farming district, had played a personal role in the war, with three local men at the WWI front.
Mr Harcourt said the men who scaled the cliffs at Gallipoli had to conquer fear as well as the heights but managed to do it with a sense of humour.
Sadly, many had paid the supreme sacrifice – their lives.
“They did their duty, now let us do ours,” he said.
