AT the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Australian\u2019s will pause for a minute silence to remember and pay respects to those who have fought and died in battle.<\/p>\n
The day commemorates the moment gunfire ceased on the Western Front during the First World War, and has since become a day to reflect on all service people of Australia, former and current.<\/p>\n
Infantry Private George Northend serves in Bendigo\u2019s Charlie Company of the 8th\/7th Royal Victoria Regiment, a battalion that served in both World Wars.<\/p>\n
He joined the Navy in the 1970s, before pursuing other careers and starting a family. In the 2010s, his son challenged him to re-enlist into the Army, which he did.<\/p>\n
He urges all Australian\u2019s to take a moment of quiet reflection.<\/p>\n
\u201cAustralians have been gathering for over 100 years to remember the fallen, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, initially with The Great War, and it\u2019s come to symbolise remembrance for all conflict from that date,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got over 1200 servicemen currently engaged on deployment operations, many of them overseas, and they\u2019ll be gathering and quietly reflecting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Private Northend said he\u2019ll spend the day with his family, giving thought to his grandfather who served at Gallipoli, his father who served during World War 2 and his son who is currently serving in Sydney.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll get my uniform out and quietly reflect with my family on how fortunate we are to be in Australia, in Victoria and where I come from in Kyneton,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemembrance Day is an opportunity to reflect on the fact that my grandfather and father returned home safely from conflict, although I\u2019ve never served overseas, I hope if my son serves he\u2019ll return safely also,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While there are more opportunities to gather and reflect due to COVID-19 restrictions easing, there will be no public service at the Soldier\u2019s Memorial Institute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AT the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Australian\u2019s will pause for a minute silence to remember and pay respects to those who have fought and died in battle. The day commemorates the moment gunfire ceased on the Western Front during the First World War, and has since become a day […]<\/p>\n