An Afghanistan veteran is leading a chorus of anger against a decision to move a town’s Anzac Day dawn service after dawn due to “security issues”.
Like everywhere else in Australia, the people of Whyalla, South Australia, always gather at dawn to pay their respects to those who have served the nation on Anzac Day.
But in a move branded “completely ridiculous”, Whyalla RSL has changed the service time to 6.45am, 15 minutes later than usual and after the sun has risen.
An Afghanistan veteran is leading a chorus of anger against a decision to move a town’s Anzac Day dawn service after dawn due to “security issues”. Whyalla sunrise service shown in previous years
“It’s no use having it 20 minutes after the sun comes up,” said the veteran in his 30s. The advertiser.
“It’s really sad because we have years and years of tradition and now it’s changed.”
The former military man said he had lost friends in Afghanistan and called the decision to change the duty schedule a “lazy cop-out.”
He still plans to attend the service, which typically draws about 200 people.
Whyalla RSL has changed the service time to 6.45am, 15 minutes later than usual and after the sun has risen.
RSL SA president Dave Petersen said the start time change was made because a veteran was injured tripping on a sidewalk in the dark a few years ago.
“We could go on at 6:00 or 6:30 and people would fall down and complain that we’re not hosting a safe event,” Petersen said.
He added that people could arrive earlier and that he would be there at 5 a.m. to pay their respects.
