THE Anzac Day march serves as a day of remembrance for many, but for David Edwards and his grandson, Jude Edwards-Rose, it also marks a familial tradition that has spanned the course of Jude\u2019s entire life.<\/p>\n
The pair have been marching together since Jude was a few weeks old, and the upcoming march will mark the 12th year of their annual pastime.<\/p>\n
Edward, a veteran of the Vietnam War, took part marches in his younger years, but said he only returned to the commemorations with the birth of his first-born grandson.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t all that popular when we came home. We had people throwing red paint at us when we were marching. It was a funny feeling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly when Jude was born did I start to take an interest in it again, to try to involve him in some way and carry on my experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first couple years were pretty funny because he didn\u2019t seem to know quite what was going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to carry him in my arms much of the time, and he\u2019s been properly marching with me the last four or five years. It\u2019s great to have the little fella alongside me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since starting their tradition, the pair have marched throughout regional Victoria at Ballarat, Ararat, Beaufort and Kyabram.<\/p>\n
Jude wears replicas of David\u2019s medals, with himself wearing the originals which he adorns alongside his own grandfather\u2019s World War One medals.<\/p>\n
Over the years, the marching duo has received the attention of newspaper photographers, and one photo has appeared in the AFL records for the Anzac Day game before being displayed across the MCG scoreboard.<\/p>\n
Although Jude said he has admired his \u201cPoppy\u2019s\u201d army service since as long as he can remember, it is only recently that he has asked David more personal questions about his time in combat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember I thought it was cool for a very long time, but when I could realise what actually happened, that\u2019s when I started to want to know more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounds like it would have been pretty scary at times, like when you\u2019re like really excited but you\u2019re also really nervous, not knowing what was going to happen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
David\u2019s military career spanned from 1970 to 1985, having served in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals for nine years before spending six years with the Royal Australian Air Force.<\/p>\n
The pair are set to set to take part in their first in-person march since 2019, and David said each Anzac Day provides an opportunity for his grandkids to appreciate the experiences of other veterans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I\u2019ve instilled into the kids is that the march is for the people in WWI and WWII. Without them, God only knows where we would be and what sort of country we would live in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have our day, Veteran\u2019s Day, in August, and once the kids understand all that, I think it\u2019s wonderful to keep that spirit alive. The proper Anzac spirit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m able to pass my experiences onto my grandkids. Not everyone I knew from that time got to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Anzac Day march serves as a day of remembrance for many, but for David Edwards and his grandson, Jude Edwards-Rose, it also marks a familial tradition that has spanned the course of Jude\u2019s entire life. The pair have been marching together since Jude was a few weeks old, and the upcoming march will mark […]<\/p>\n