Dawn Service Poem by Suu Casey Young

A battalion of invincible youth,
proud Australians, one and all.
Comrades in arms marching forward,
never thinking they would fall.
Yet here before the sun does rise
we face another ANZAC Day,
thinking not only of battles past
but for peace today we pray.
A nation’s people gathering,
in silent commemoration
of the commitment and the service
and the total dedication.
For those who made the sacrifice
but have not families here to mourn,
they are not forgotten
by those that gather in the dawn.
This isn’t about relationships
or a family’s generations,
but of remembering the heroism
of the youth of a young nation.
With heads bowed in recognition
of the sacrifices made,
there is a respectful acknowledgement
of the price our soldiers paid.