Once called Armistice Day, November 11 was renamed Remembrance Day by the Australian and British governments after the end of World War II in 1945. They deemed the name as appropriate for a day that commemorated all war dead, while the USA changed the name to Veteran’s Day.

Max said the day was important to the RSL and the public.

“Where we hold the service at 10.20am at the fountain in Central Park, a lot of names on it are from the 33^rd Battalion, they were Armidale people, or from Uralla, Guyra, and they still have descendants who come along to the memorial service remembrance,” he said.

“When we look at our Remembrance and Anzac days, the numbers are getting larger, and it is unbelievable for a place the size of Armidale just how large the Dawn Service is.

“People are still interested and they are well aware of the problems associated with the problems faced by today’s modern serviceman and the needs they require to survive.

Guest speaker at this year’s service Major Grant Prendergast was deployed to Timor Leste in 2000 and commissioned as an armoured corps officer in 2007. Since 2010 he served with 8th/9th Batallion RAR, and now serves with 2/16^th Hunter River Lancers. He has deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan and Hawaii, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea with the UN.

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“With today’s technology and the media coverage, a lot of people are aware of what is the daily life of a serviceman overseas,” he said.

“People can see what daily conditions the soldier has to face. Remembrance Day is extremely important to myself and others because it’s a chance for serving members to reflect on what we’ve achieved in our lifetime.

“But it’s also a chance to remember what our forefathers have gone through in order for us to be here today.”