A group of Arvida Oakwoods residents are flying their own flag on Anzac Day to include the silver fern that is on the graves of fallen soldiers overseas.
Ninety-year-old Charles Quintal’s father, Walter, went off to fight in the first world war at 17.
He was too young to be eligible to join the troops heading overseas, so he took the name of the farmer’s son where he lived to nudge his age up.
Like many young people at the time, heading overseas to fight in the war began as an adventure until the grim reality kicked in.
“He used to say we didn’t fight for the flag – we died because of it.”
His father was one of the lucky ones who returned home and went on to become a sergeant cook in the second world war on home soil.
Those who did not make it home lie beneath the silver fern overseas and that is one of the reasons Charles wanted to fly the stars and silver fern flag.
He is part of a larger group who wanted to fly a flag bearing the silver fern to match the emblem on graves overseas and because they view it as a treasured New Zealand icon.
Meanwhile, former military chaplain Rob McConnachie was guest speaker at Richmond’s Anzac Day service where he talked about the people who have lost their lives in areas of conflict, but not because of the fighting.
He had a four-month tour of duty in East Timor when locals fought for independence from Indonesia and says among the lives lost were two New Zealanders who were involved in vehicle accidents.
One was working on road repairs because much of the infrastructure had been demolished and another took evasive action and drove off the road to avoid villagers with wheelbarrows and was killed.
In any conflict, he says there are people involved outside of the fighting who are there because of the human spirit to do their part to help.
“There are people who do the things we don’t want to do, or can’t do, or are uncomfortable to do or are afraid to do. I think Anzac Day is a time to celebrate that aspect of the human spirit.
“It’s about honouring the people who place themselves in harm’s way, knowing it is dangerous. And they do it for other people.”
