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Bowen RSL President Roger Hine, Afghanistan Veteran Bradley May, Bowen RSL Vice President Dave Chambers, Speaker and Bowen RSL Secretary Marty Tanzer. Photo Supplied: Bowen RSL
Bowen RSL brought the community together on Friday for a service marking 25 years since Australian boots first touched the ground in Afghanistan, honoring the members who served whilst remembering those whose lives were lost.
Vice President Marty Tanzer delivered the opening address, reflecting on the anniversary as well as recognising and remembering Corporal Brendan Hannan, an Afghanistan veteran who was killed during a training exercise in the Northern Territory on the 5th October.
Among those in attendance was Bowen RSL member and veteran Bradley May, who served 7 years in the Australian army and was deployed Afghanistan multiple times as a gunner and a bombardier. His children were the ones who laid a wreath in remembrance of all Afghanistan veterans.
“It was really special seeing my children involved in the commemorative service, having an opportunity to lay the wreath,” Bradley said.
“As a veteran and a father, I think it’s important that the younger generation understands the sacrifices made by those who served, particularly in the more recent conflicts such as Afghanistan.”
The service gave local veterans and their families a chance to pause together, while acknowledging an anniversary with lasting personal significance.
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