APSL marches with Allied troops on ANZAC Day 2018

By Evelyn A. Opilas - PRO
Rooty Hill-NSW-Australia
April 30, 2018



“We march, rain or shine,” came the reminder and thankfully on 25 April, the promise of rain a few days before turned to bright sunshine for the ANZAC Day March, remembering with pride the events of over a hundred years before.


Late autumn’s searing heat or early winter’s so cold breeze, did it matter to the Australia Philippines Services League (APSL) who participated in pre-ANZAC Day and ANZAC Day commemorations at Rooty Hill and in Sydney, respectively?





People of all ages peppered the sidelines as troops wound their way along Sydney’s central business district on ANZAC Day, cheering, clapping, thanking, the isolated ‘Mabuhay!’ indicating a Filipino somewhere among the crowd proud to see the Philippines’ emblem among the sea of banners during the March.



Asst Defence Attache Col Nhel Patricio and TSgt Ricardo Lasmarias drove from the Philippine Embassy in Canberra to be with the APSL contingent in Sydney for the March, a reminder that the Philippines too lost sons and daughters in the fight for freedom with Allied forces during World War II and in other areas of conflict as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.



The ANZAC Day timeline follows:

4 August 1914 – Great Britain declares war on Germany; Australia pledges a force of 20,000 men to be placed at Great Britain’s disposal.

10 August 1914 – Voluntary recruitment for the first Australian Imperial Force (AIF) begins.

25 April 1915 – Australian and New Zealand troops land at Gallipoli, Turkey.

May 1915 – Acronym ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) used to describe Australian and New Zealand positions at Gallipoli.

20 December 1915 – Last ANZAC troops evacuated from Gallipoli, Turkey, leaving behind some 8000 sons of Australia.

25 April 1916 – First commemoration of ANZAC

11 November 1918 – Armistice, cease of hostilities at the 11^th hour

25 April 1923 – First ANZAC Dawn Service held at Mt Clarence, overlooking King George’s Sound at Albany, Western Australia. (Source: Rooty Hill RSL Sub Branch Commemoration of ANZAC, 2018)



While mourning ‘with pride’ on ANZAC Day, “let us also remember with equal pride those who served and still live”, admonished the Rooty Hill RSL Sub-Branch.

“Lest we forget!” rain or shine. –( photos Evelyn A Opilas)