What Anzac Day means to us all

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: OPINION Ōtaki MP Tim Costley
• Publication title: Kapiti News

My 23 years of military service took me to Afghanistan, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Europe (in support of Ukraine), PNG, Fiji, and various humanitarian operations in New Zealand. During these operations, I saw the very best of Kiwis, that the indelible Anzac spirit lives on today. That Anzac spirit is a unique and defining quality, one that sets us apart from all other nations, and it’s something of which we should all be justifiably proud

I saw it in Timor as a dozen people clambered over a helicopter to get it airborne in record time to stop a riot. I saw it in Afghanistan as a dozen Kiwi special forces soldiers rolled out the gates of our compound at a moment’s notice to stop a major terrorist attack on a local hotel. I saw it in New Zealand as helicopter crews raced to get airborne to winch people from rooftops in floods.

That same Anzac spirit that led 100,000 Kiwis to leave towns like ours 110 years ago lives on today. I’m proud that no matter what the challenge, our New Zealand Defence Force is always willing and able to respond: A cyclone in Fiji, a volcanic eruption at White Island, a humanitarian evacuation from Kabul, or training soldiers to fight in Ukraine. The women and men who serve today don’t seek conflict, but they’re ready to serve in conflict zones if that is the only way to bring peace, to be a light in the darkness and a beacon of hope in a hurting world.

But, if I’m really honest, I always feel inadequate when I think about my grandparents’ war service, and...