“Lest We Forget: The Values Behind the Sacrifice”

 

ANZAC Day marks the service and sacrifice of Australians who fought in the First World War and in every conflict since. When the war began in 1914, Australia committed troops to support Britain and its allies. Many volunteered believing they were defending shared values, protecting their way of life, and standing with partners in a global conflict. First Nations soldiers also served, despite facing discrimination at home, and their contribution is now increasingly recognised.

The ANZACs fought under the Australian flag, and for many people that symbol represents unity, identity, and the sacrifices made by those who served. Today, Australia displays multiple flags to acknowledge different parts of our national story, including the Aboriginal flag. While many people respect the importance of recognising First Nations identity, others feel that the absence of the Australian flag in some government spaces overlooks the symbol under which past generations served and died. It’s a tension that reflects how Australia is still working out how to honour all parts of its history.

When I look at ANZAC Day, I can’t help thinking about the idea of freedom — not in a political sense, but in the everyday sense of what people believe they’re protecting when they serve. The ANZACs fought believing they were defending values that mattered to them: fairness, community, and the right to live without unnecessary interference. It makes me wonder how those values hold up today.

People often talk about restrictions, rules, and decisions that feel like they chip away at everyday freedoms, and it raises a difficult question: if those same limits had existed back then, would the country have been able to stand together the way it did? Would people have felt the same sense of purpose, or would they have questioned whether the freedoms they were fighting for were already slipping away at home?

It’s not about blaming anyone — it’s about trying to understand how a society balances safety, rights, identity, and the lessons of its own history. ANZAC Day is meant to remind us of sacrifice, but it also reminds us to look at ourselves honestly. What do we value now? What do we protect? And are we still guarding the things past generations believed were worth fighting for?

“Lest we forget” is often said to honour those who died, but it should also remind us why they served in the first place. Remembering their sacrifice means remembering the values they believed were worth defending — and asking whether we still uphold them today.