ANZAC Day 2020: Veterans to commemorate from driveways over safety

As the sun rises tomorrow, up to 25,000 people are expected to line their driveways for “Light up the Dawn”, and WWII veteran Richard Scott, who has not missed an Anzac Day service for more than 70 years, will be one of them.

WORLD War II veteran Richard Scott has not missed an Anzac Day service for more than 70 years, but this year he joins thousands of Queensland war heroes marking the day at home.

As the sun rises tomorrow, up to 25,000 people are expected to line their driveways for “Light up the Dawn”, an initiative spearheaded by the RSL and championed by The Courier-Mail that encourages Queenslanders to stand in their driveway at 6am for a minute’s silence.

Anzac Day 2020: What’s open in Brisbane, dawn service live stream

Download our special Anzac Day Poppy Poster

The future of RSL clubs: Thousands lose jobs, veterans suffer

How to use your free Virtual Candle, The Ode and The Last Post to Light Up The Dawn on Anzac Day 2020

Marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, it will be an Anzac Day the likes of which Australia has never seen, due to strict COVID-19 restrictions.
Mr Scott, 99, who served in Britain during World War II in the Coastal Command as a Tail Gunner on the Sunderland Flying Boat, will proudly take part in Light up the Dawn to remember the comrades who sacrificed their lives, particularly the crew he lost in 1942.
They were shot down over the English Channel while Mr Scott was on three days’ leave to get married.

World War Two Veteran 99 year old Richard Scott who was a Corporal operating as a Rear Gunner in a Sunderland Flying Boat Patrol Bomber for 10 Squadron in the RAAF. Photo Lachie Millard

“It’s sad really, after all these years, not being able to go. You miss this and you look forward to it each year and meet others you haven’t seen in a long long time,” he said.
Vietnam veteran Ian Hall, 73, will pay his respects to the fallen on his driveway tomorrow, remembering his two tours with Brisbane’s 6RAR.
After joining in 1964 at just 18, Mr Hall was sent to Vietnam for the first time in 1966 in an antitank platoon, which soon became a heavy weapons platoon due to no Vietnamese tanks being in South Vietnam at the time.
Returning to Brisbane after the Battle of Long Tan, Mr Scott completed more training before a second 13-month tour that saw him work closely with US troops.

Decorated World War Two Veteran 99 year old Richard Scott.

Copy Pictures of World War Two Veteran 99 year old Richard (Mick) Scott who was a Corporal operating as a Rear Gunner in a Sunderland Flying Boat Patrol Bomber for 10 Squadron in the RAAF Picture Supplied

“Before I went back to Vietnam in 1969, I underwent training with SAS to get some of the necessary skills to be able to go and do recon work,” he said.
“It was strange to go back the second time but the second time the manner in which our (Australian) role compared to the first time was totally different.”
Mr Hall says this Anzac Day, if anything, will have more community involvement than usual.
“It doesn’t mean to say it won’t have the relevance and significance it normally has – it just means we’re going to have to celebrate it in a different way,” he said.
“Light Up the Dawn is quite significant because to me it’s involving the community to a greater degree than what we normally do.”

Veteran Ian Hall who served two tours in Vietnam and will be remembering the sacrifices his father, uncles and grandfather made for Australia at dawn from his driveway in Woodford, north of Brisbane. Photo Lachie Millard

Natalie Dillon, 32, who served in the navy from 2006-12 and deployed to the Middle East on board HMAS Warramunga as part of the International Coalition Against Terrorism, will be commemorating with her daughters Harper and Hadley.
“I think it’s a really hard situation because on Anzac Day there are so many elderly and they’re just at such a high risk,” she said.

“It’s very sad that we aren’t able to commemorate.”

Natalie Dillon with her daughters, Harper, 8, and Handler, 4. Natalie is a young ex Navy vet and her and her daughters will be commemorating from their driveway this Anzac Day. Photo Steve Pohlner

Ms Dillon hoped people would spare a thought for veterans who looked forward to Anzac Day as a rare social outing.
“I think what we hope with each Anzac Day is that we can show that our time on deployments to the Middle East cemented the legacy of Anzacs in that even in 2020 Australian servicemen and women are still willing to sacrifice their lives, safety and time with family to deploy across the world to protect others and other countries,” she said.

“Although it looks different to previous generations, for us Anzac Day is a time to remember our time abroad serving our country.”