Eleven-year-old Andrew McCaffrey clutches tightly to a photo of his great grandfather.
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Graham Thompson served in New Guinea and New Britain and while he was one of the soldiers who made it home, he has been missed since he passed six years ago in August.
Anzac Day is an important one – and an emotional one - for Andrew and his family.
With his grandparents, Tony (an ex-serviceman) and Bev Spencer, four-year-old sister Chloe and father Brian McCaffrey, they attended both the dawn service and the main service in Taree.
Graham’s photo was placed on the war memorial during the ceremony.
“As an ex-serviceman, Anzac Day means to me commemorating the memory of those who have fallen and obviously those who protected our country during all conflicts,” said Tony.
“It’s about the passing on to the next generations,” added Brian.
“What the day means, what it means to be an Australian and what we are today,” he said.
“It’s not just about the ones who didn’t come home,” said Bev.
“It’s our younger generation of diggers, the ones going through psychological problems and adjusting back into the community.”
Tony went on to say that he feels the police, the fire brigade and the ambulance are the diggers of today.
“They protect us every day of the week. At the end of the day it is just them and they look after us all the time,” he said.
Up to 2000 people attended the Anzac Day service in Taree, held at the memorial clock from 10.30am.
Among them were hundreds of students from local schools who also took part in the march.
David West, who was representing MidCoast Council, said he was moved by the turnout. “Without them continuing this, it will be lost. This is a commemoration in memory of the fallen and recognising soldiers serving now. Seeing these kids here; whatever happens, they’ll never be forgotten.”
It is estimated 3000 people lined the streets for the Anzac Day march.