LIEUTENANT Justin Taskin is the third generation of his family to grow up in Meredith.<\/p>\n
He now serves an engineering officer in the army in Albury-Wodonga but will return home to be the guest speaker at the town\u2019s Anzac Day Service.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mum has lived in Meredith her whole life, I went to Meredith Primary School and then took the bus each day to High School in Geelong,\u201d Lieutenant Taskin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext week it is about giving back to the town, at the ceremony I attend as a child year in year out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is likely I\u2019ll get posted interstate next year, so this is really the last chance I can attend the Meredith ceremony easily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Taskin joined the Army as an officer midway through an engineering degree at Deakin University in Waurn Ponds.<\/p>\n
The army sponsored his last two years of university and after graduation he was posted as a Lieutenant into a leadership role in Albury-Wodonga.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a team of 50-60 tradesmen that I manage which at the age of 23 is quite surreal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The essence of the first part of Lieutenant Taskin\u2019s Anzac Day speech is about his belief that achieving special goals in life, regardless of where you come from, is possible through hard work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very passionate about this,\u201d he said. \u201cAs Meredith is quite small some kids may feel disadvantaged as they approach graduating VCE.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy career is proof there is no barrier, I even went to a public school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lieutenant Taskin said the rest of his speech will be about the importance of Anzac Day.<\/p>\n
Kevin Harty, Secretary of the Meredith RSL said the event is well supported each year with over 100 people attending.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe fill the hall,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Vietnam veterans, school children, RSL members and the Meredith community will assemble at the front of the Meredith & District Memorial Hall for the Anzac Day march before the service.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe march finishes at the cenotaph at the front of the building, where a catafalque party of soldiers from 8\/7 RVR Geelong will be in position,\u201d Mr Harty said.<\/p>\n
Meredith community groups and residents who wish to remember family members will be invited to place their wreaths at the base of the cenotaph after the service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LIEUTENANT Justin Taskin is the third generation of his family to grow up in Meredith. He now serves an engineering officer in the army in Albury-Wodonga but will return home to be the guest speaker at the town\u2019s Anzac Day Service. \u201cMy mum has lived in Meredith her whole life, I went to Meredith Primary […]<\/p>\n