AIR force veteran Barry Clark will quietly reflect on his 32 years of military service this Thursday.
For Mr Clark, Anzac Day is a time to honour the sacrifice of those lost to war and celebrate the unique camaraderie he experienced during his career.
“In the services, once you make a mate you have that mate for life,” he says.
“Those friendships last to this day. Some of my closest friends I have known for 55 years.”
The retired Melton South resident, 67, joined the Royal Australian Air Force in Perth at the age of 17, wanting an adventure, “a way out of the suburban rut”.
“Some might say it was a misguided adventure, but it took me all around Australia and even abroad. Some of the best times of my life were spent working in logistics with my fellow airmen.”
Mr Clark says the highlight of his career was a two-year posting in Malaysia from 1972.
“I was positioned on an Australian base there . . . we were working alongside British, Singapore and Malaysian air forces in an operation, being used as security deterrent.”
He says that while it brings up mixed emotions for many, Anzac Day unites lost friends from around Australia.
“It’s a reflection of what you’ve done, where you have been and those who were lost. There are some air force friends I only see once a year and this is the day we come together.”
ANZAC DAY IN MELTON
Melton’s Anzac Day dawn service is from 6am outside the council offices on High Street, followed by a gunfire breakfast at Melton Country Club. At 9am, residents will march up High Street to the cenotaph for a memorial service.
