Anzac Day: Virtual War Memorial Australia urges people to honour a Digger
Stuck at home in the lead-up to Anzac Day but still want to pay your respects? Here’s how you can contribute to the national commemoration without breaking social distancing restrictions.
SA News
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In the age of social distancing and self-isolation, this year’s Anzac Day provides Australians with a unique opportunity to pay tribute to a wartime hero.
Adelaide-based Virtual War Memorial Australia is urging people to adopt a hero, research that Digger’s history and create a permanent online profile in commemoration.
Anzac Day services around the country are cancelled this year because of COVID-19 restrictions, and the RSL is urging people to stay at home on Saturday – the 105th anniversary of Australian, New Zealand and Allied forces landing at Anzac Cove.
Ned Young, an intern at the virtual memorial, has created a profile of his great-grandfather, Private Max Gordon Hudson, who fought the Japanese in Papua New Guinea in World War II.
“If anything, being confined to our homes this Anzac Day provides the opportunity for deeper personal reflection,” Ned said.
“Many of us have our own Anzac heroes, who we remember especially fondly as we silently stand for the Last Post.
“I encourage everyone to take a moment to remember their own hero. Now is a better time than ever to preserve … old photographs and transcribe the letters and diaries.
“For those who do not have a family member to honour, you could adopt a Digger – because everyone who has risked their life for Australia is a hero in his or her own right, and deserves to have their story told.”
Ned said the process of researching his great-grandfather’s history was rewarding, especially discovering the letters Max Hudson had written to his family from the battlefields of Buna and Sanananda.
“Reading through those letters was quite a special experience,” he said. “It was amazing to actually read what he had written at the time he was over there, and how it affected him.
“I just got the sense of how much he wanted to make his family proud.
“The Virtual War Memorial Australia is the perfect way to make a significant contribution to Anzac Day this year.
“Technology provides a way to come together and commemorate your family hero.”
The Virtual War Memorial allows anyone to upload profiles, including pictures, service history, anecdotes and supporting documents, of any Australian soldier.
Chief executive Sharyn Roberts said the profiles allowed the experiences of a family hero to be shared with the nation.
Ms Roberts said the memorial would also stage a 12-hour virtual vigil from 6pm on Friday. The vigil will feature a new post every 10 minutes on memorial’s home and Facebook pages, featuring someone who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
The memorial also plans a series of interactive posts leading up to Saturday, asking people to share Anzac Day photos, artwork, poetry and music.