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AS THE sun rose over Tamworth, a lone bugler, piper and kookaburras could be heard across the city as thousands of locals and visitors began their Anzac Day commemorations with the Dawn Service.
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The service was not about glorifying war, but about recognising the commitment of Australian and New Zealand military personnel, war nurses and their families during times of conflict and peace.
Tamworth RSL Sub-branch president Bob Chapman said the "great irony of peace is you often have to fight for it".
"More than one million Australians have joined our armed services in war and one million more have served at home," he said.
Mr Chapman remembered various anniversaries that will be marked this year including the centenary of Fromelles and Pozieres on the Western Front, which will be honoured in July.
He said the battle of Fromelles was the worst day in Australian history with the death and injuring of so many men.
It is also the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in August, which Mr Chapman, a Vietnam War veteran himself, said was a time to remember all Vietnam veterans. They will lead the main march in Peel St later this morning.
Mr Chapman also spoke of those who served in Crete and Greece in World War II, Tobruk, Korea and those who have served more recently in Iraq, East Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan.
"We pay homage to past and present service personnel," Mr Chapman said.
"We owe a depth of gratitude to all those young men and women who took part and have served our country."
As medals jingled on chests, ex-service and serving personnel, as well as school students and dignitaries, laid their floral tributes to those who fell and served in all wars.
"We mourn those who went out to the battlefields and did not return," Mr Chapman said.
A special feature of this year's Dawn Service was the flying of both the New Zealand and Australian flags and the singing of both countries' national anthems.
