OPINION | Anzac spirit still burns brightly within us

Mr James served Australia during WWII with honour and distinction.

The 96-year-old Australian was a determined youngster when he set out to fight for his country.

Conscription was effectively introduced in mid-1942, when all men aged 18 to 35, and single men aged 35 to 45, were required to join the Citizen Military Forces (CMF).

Mr James was 18 when he asked his mother to sign his papers. She declined fearing for her son's safety.

Mr James' father was working away from home so he travelled for more than two days and urged his father to sign his papers.

His father could not refuse because he had been a war serviceman himself.

Mr James could not choose where he would be enlisted but felt lucky to be provided the opportunity to join the air force.

At 19 he became a fully fledged pilot within air crew. He would later become a distinguished pilot, training other pilots, specialising in short take-offs and landings.

To this day, Mr James says it was 'a good life' and he is so proud to have put on the uniform in defence of his fellow Australians.

He is grateful for the recognition of his contributions and I am sure Tasmanians are grateful for what Mr James did for us and future generations.

It has been sometime since I met with Mr James but his enduring spirit and charisma has stayed with me.

I was honoured to present him with a Medal of Honour to mark the 75th anniversary commemorating the end of WWII.

But it wasn't this honour which has made such an impression on me, but rather his spirit or life force which has carried him for all 96 years on the planet.

I think everyone has this spirit. The essence inside us that drives us. It is most visible in some, not so in others; but it is there all the same.

Sometimes in life we get pushed off course, events disturb our spirit and it is less visible in us.

However, it is still there and it comes back over time when we strive to be the best we can be for ourselves and others around us.

I remain inspired by Ted's stories of courage and grit, just as I have been inspired by all Tasmanians during the past 12 months fighting COVID-19.

The past 12 months really have challenged us as a people and it is going to take years for us to find our former selves once again.

I think we will get there sooner if we take the time to reflect on who we are and where we are headed.

Most Australians know of the word Anzac and where it came from, but do we explore enough about what it means to be an Anzac and can everyday Australians be Anzacs?

I think they can because Anzac is part of who we are as a people, it is part of being Australian.

The Anzac Spirit lives in all of us.

Traditionally, Anzac has been used to describe in the most positive light, qualities which Australians have witnessed their ADF personnel display in times of war.

These qualities are generally accepted to include endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour and mateship.

But these qualities should not merely be reserved for the battlefield.

Tasmanians and Australians can display these qualities every day in their place of work, on the weekend or battling certain circumstances many of us have faced in more recent times.

Arthur Bourke OAM is quoted as saying that the spirit of Anzac is not confined to the battlefield, nor is it something that can be seen. His description of Anzac is, "a powerful driving sensation that can only be felt. It is a feeling that burns in the heart of every Australian and New Zealand countryman. A warm, tender, fiery, even melancholy ideal that nurtures intense patriotism in the innermost soul of everybody."

And the Returned and Services League of Australia suggests that the spirit of Anzac is still seen today in times of crisis or hardship.

I don't think anyone could deny that it has been on full display in Australia recently.

First responders, healthcare professionals, retail workers, truck drivers and every Australian who has provided assistance to their fellow Australians in need embodies this spirit.

The past 12 months have been endured by many, felt by all.

But in time, we will feel stronger for it. Our spirit will return and burn brightly as it once did.

This Anzac Day I urge you to reflect on what it means to be an Anzac, because we are all Anzacs.

Hold your family close and remember those who paid the ultimate price for us all.

Lest We Forget.