Duty Before Entitlement Self Reliance And Initiative Before Complaint And Victimhood

By Sue Ellson

Today is ANZAC Day – 25 April 2015 and it is the 100th anniversary of the battle at Gallipoli.

Whilst I attended a local dawn service in Surrey Hills, Melbourne, Australia (an excellent occasion organised by a variety of local community groups), I heard on the grapevine about the rousing speech of Neville Clark, Vietnam Veteran at the Dawn Service in Melbourne. I would like to quote his final comments – they are reminder to all people, of all nations, of our obligation to ourselves and our civil societies.

Neville Clark, Vietnam Veteran ANZAC Day 25 April 2015

Duty before entitlement

Self-reliance and initiative before complaint and victimhood

Cheerfulness and wry humour rather than gloom and despair

Unselfish team player and above all, standing by your mate who are beacons of hope

Inspiring the rest of us everyday Australians to do exceptional things

In the spirit of ANZAC.

You can hear Mr Clark’s 00:06:28  speech at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-25/melbourne-remembers/6420794