This year, for the first time volunteers from the veteran community contributed to DVA’s Anzac Day commemorative services in Türkiye and France.
We spoke with some of them after they returned home.
Louise Bennett was the Accessible Seating Assistance Coordinator at the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli. Louise supported her family during her husband’s 2 decades of service in both the British Army and the Australian Army. She has experienced the challenges transitioning to civilian life can throw at veterans and families.
‘It was an honour to be part of the delivery team,’ she says. ‘At the Dawn Service, I was focused on the people I met, the stories they told and keeping an eye on them to make sure they were ok. I was elated that I was making a difference to help the visitors have the trip of a lifetime.
‘Attending the services was definitely a bucket-list experience. The surrounds, the history, the landscape, the professionalism of the delivery team was just amazing.’
Shane Moy, a former Signaller and Commando who was deployed to Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan twice, also attended Gallipoli..
The moment that stood out for him was during the Lone Pine Service as he lay a wreath alongside another veteran on behalf of all Australian veterans: ‘[I felt] very grateful and blessed being able to do that. [I’ve] had some great experiences participating in past Anzac Day services as a soldier, but that will probably top them.’
Another volunteer at Gallipoli was Kerri-Lee Beck, a RAAF veteran who’s the fifth generation of her family to serve in the Australian military. She is currently a Reservist and is married to a serving member of the ADF. Kerri-Lee's role at Gallipoli was with the Ceremonial team.
‘There was a strong sense of shared purpose — everyone understood the importance of the role they played,’ she says. ‘Whether placing wreaths, guiding guests, or setting the tone for the services, every task carried meaning.
‘Being surrounded by Australians and New Zealanders, united in remembrance, created a quiet but powerful sense of shared pride. The beauty of the morning stood in poignant contrast to the tragic history it commemorated. It was deeply moving.
She also read an ANZAC’s diary entry during the Anzac Cove service in front of 2,500 attendees.
‘Speaking Hector’s words—on the very ground where he once stood—was an absolute privilege.’
Navy veteran and current Reservist, Megan Banton was a member of the visitor services team in France. Her partner and brother are both serving in the ADF. She had the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of veterans and veteran families at the Digger Service in Bullecourt.
‘I was incredibly proud and humbled to attend the services,’ she says. ‘Standing up in front of the crowd and taking in the amount of people that were present for the Dawn Service, knowing that they were there for all their own and very different reasons.
‘I am extremely grateful for the whole experience. I have pride in the DVA staff, for not only being included on the team, but for how hard they worked while in France – away from their families to put on the Dawn Service for veterans.’
Bernadine Bennett also supported the services in France. She is the widow of an RAAF veteran, and a musician with the Townsville RSL Pipes and Drums band, playing at Anzac Day marches and services.
‘My role involved greeting visitors, making them feel welcome, and ensuring that everyone who visited had a memorable experience.
‘Attending the services felt absolutely special. The atmosphere was deeply moving, and the sense of camaraderie and shared respect for the sacrifices made by the diggers and their families was palpable.
‘On Anzac Day, my thoughts gravitated foremost towards my husband. However, spending time in France and being part of the commemorations made it impossible not to reflect on the immense suffering endured by the diggers and their families.’
Also in the Visitor Services team was Matt Lamberth, an RAAF veteran. Matt has followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who served in the Second World War and his uncle, a Vietnam veteran.
‘I felt really honoured to be selected, with Bernadine, to lay a wreath on behalf of veterans and veterans’ families at the Dawn Service and share the reading of ‘In Flanders Fields’ at the Digger Service. The services had the same emotional context as they do in Australia, but I was really overwhelmed by how the French in the area embrace Anzac Day.’
‘I will continue to be in awe of the way our Government continues to appropriately honour our war dead. This experience has shown me how many people care about veterans.’
Army veteran Troy Simmonds also volunteered in France. Troy had a varied career in the ADF, deploying overseas on many occasions. He was a member of the SAS. He told us that his memories of taking part in the Anzac Day services in France will stay with him for life, and that he felt valued as a veteran.
‘I was with the Ceremonial team that helped put together the actual service and coordinate the many different elements that enabled it to run smoothly.
‘I felt privileged to be able to attend such a special event in such a sacred place. (I also felt quite tired, as we worked long hours leading up to the event).
‘I thought a lot about the WW1 diggers and their families. The staggering human cost of that war. How awesome it is that we still remember them in such a meaningful and enduring way. I also thought about colleagues and friends I lost ... while I was serving in the Army.
To all of the men and women who helped DVA with these events, thank you. And thank you for your service.
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Below: Louise Bennett at Gallipoli; Kerri-Lee Beck at Gallipoli; (from left): Matthew Lamberth, Bernadine Bennett, Megan Banton and Troy Simmonds, at the ‘Digger’ Service, the Australian ‘Digger’ Memorial, on the outskirts of Bullecourt, France; Troy Simmons and Megan Banton laying the wreath at the Digger’s Service, France.
