Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". More recently, the annual event, commemorated at locations around the world, remembers all those who have fallen in military conflict.
The service next Thursday will be held on Kamala Beach near the police station from 5:20am to 6:30am. Dress for the occasion is smart casual, and service medals can be worn, explained Phuket Veterans (IVA) President Wayne Scanlan.
“I sincerely hope to see as many people as possible at the Dawn Service. There is plenty of parking and public toilets are available. At the completion of the service we will retire to a closeby watering hole for a traditional Anzac breakfast,” he added.
Phuket Veterans hold services for Remembrance and Anzac days each year. “Prior to and during these days, ‘Poppies’ are sold to raise funds for the Royal British Legion (UK) and the Returned Service League (Aus). This is called the Poppy Appeal,” Mr Scanlon explained.
“The money raised helps these organisations provide support to Veterans as well as providing maintenance to the many war grave sites around the world. The support given by all who donate, ensures that veteran support for those that need it, as well as the remembrance of the fallen. Phuket Veterans fully support both of these organisations.”
Phuket Veterans (PV) was formed on the island only a handful of years ago. The members are a group of like-minded serving and former members of the armed forces from around the world that come together during our social events and support each other when needed.
“We also support the local community through our Crisis Response Program. We have several members from the emergency services, such as firefighters, police officers and paramedics as members of our group,” Mr Scanlon noted.
Mental health and wellness of former servicemen and women is also a priority for the community group. “Our ethos and main focus is to provide Mental Health support to Military Veterans & Emergency Service personnel,” Mr Scanlon said.
“To this end, Phuket Veterans are raising donations to create a Mental Health Counselling Room where individuals can attend to receive the support they require. Four of our members have recently completed their [FAA Level 2 in First Aid for Mental Health] so we can assist in helping our members and others when needed.
“If you would like to help us raise funds for this facility, you can purchase a Phuket Veterans ‘Lest we forget 2024’ pin from several outlets around the island. Heroes bar, Aussie bar, Expat Sports Bar and the Halfway Inn Restobar, all in Patong, will have these pins available at B120 each. They will also be available for purchase at the Anzac Dawn Service. All funds go directly to this initiative,” Mr Scanlon noted.
A key development of the Phuket Veterans has been its ‘Crisis Response Team’, namely in the event that a disaster like the tsunami of 2004 occurs again, Mr Scanlon also pointed out.
“Phuket Veterans conduct regular training in first aid, search and rescue, rope safety, water rescue, ground to air emergency signalling, fieldcraft and self reliance,” he said.
“We conduct this training so we can be of assistance to the local authorities if requested. We have recently opened up our Crisis Response Training to non-veteran volunteers and ran our first course for them in February. The feedback we received was excellent,” he added.
Phuket Veterans will conduct another free training day in June. People interested in attending the free training are asked to send an SMS to 089-5870819 so they can be contacted by the Phuket Veterans’ CRT Coordinator.