Service men and women and their families have begun their procession from Princes Bridge on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD to the Shrine of Remembrance.
Royal Australian Air Force veteran Brett West is among those leading the more than 10,000 people who are expected to take part.
The Indigenous Australian enlisted with the RAAF in 1987, qualifying as an armored technician to work with aircraft and their associated weapons systems. He went on to a specialization in the bomb squad.
Brett West is among the servicemen who will lead Melbourne’s Anzac Day march.Credit: Joe Armao
West said peacekeepers had traditionally been among the forgotten service personnel.
“It’s incredible work that peacekeepers do,” he said.
“It’s not just what they do for Australia it’s ensuring people abroad are looking after, that they can live their lives as they wish.”
West said during Thursday’s moment of silence in Melbourne his thoughts had turned to the families of the service men and women who were left waiting for them back home.
“The wives, the children, the grandparents – friends and family of all kinds who provide that support structure – they honestly do it as hard, if not harder than us that go away,” he said.
West, a Yamatji man, said there was still some way to go to recognize the contribution of Indigenous Australians, but that had improved.
“It took me quite a while to have the confidence to wear my metals, to go to a dawn service,” he said.
“I would love to give every Aboriginal person that’s actually served the confidence to be proud and wear their metals and come out.”
