Former defence force pair pay Anzac respects from front gate

Sue and John lit candles and flew an Australian flag to mark the day.

PAYING RESPECTS: John and Sue Gregor were not about to let Anzac Day pass them by. Photo: Ebony Graveur

LIKE many homes across Australia this morning, a property in Lowood came alive under the glow of candlelight.

Sue and John Gregor, whose shared love of dogs brought them together also shared another trait - a past of serving in the Australian Defence Force.

Naturally, Anzac Day is not merely another day to the duo - far from it.

John served in the Army for five years and, for nearly three years, Sue served in the navy.

"I was in the navy in the communications branch - I was a Royal Australian Navy radio operator teletype in those days," Sue said.

"We don't do teletype anymore, of course - it's all electronic these days."

Sue's work took her from Melbourne to Canberra and then to Sydney.

"Those were the best years of my life, I reckon," she said.

PAYING RESPECTS: John and Sue Gregor were not about to let Anzac Day pass them by. Photo: Ebony Graveur

John's time serving nearly took him to Vietnam.

"I was lucky in a way because I was being trained to go to Vietnam, which was conscription and they would draw your name out of the hat," John said.

"And mine wasn't drawn out of the hat but I had been fully trained to go there."

John owned a jeep from the second world war, which he fixed up and treasured - a vehicle that proved to make him very popular, especially around Anzac Day.

"I had a World War Two Army Jeep that I restored, and I used to do Anzac Day in Brisbane and Ipswich with it," he said.

"I sold it last year to a guy - and it's the worst thing I ever did because I miss it so much."

A friend of a friend saw the jeep and asked if John would sell it to him.

PAYING RESPECTS: John and Sue Gregor were not about to let Anzac Day pass them by. Photo: Ebony Graveur

"I wasn't using it enough and it was a lot of money sitting there and a guy came along asking if I would sell it," he said.

"But if another one came along, I would grab it tomorrow."

While they would normally attend the Lowood Anzac Day Dawn Service, the coronavirus cancellations didn't come close to standing in the way of Sue and John paying their respects.

"We knew it was going to be really, really weird not being able to go and join a service with our community," Sue said.

"So, I told John I would make a wreath and put it at the Cenotaph."

The couple heard the RSLs were encouraging community members to decorate their farm gates instead.

"We decorated a wreath and put candles out there and put the flag up," Sue said.

"That's how we decided to do it for our own little part of Anzac Day."

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