It’s an experience few of us would understand.
Among the attendees at the 2024 Cobram Anzac Day service was Ted Morecroft, a 101-year-old veteran of World War II.
In 1941, Mr Morecroft enlisted in the Australian Army, focusing on signals and communications.
“I was a very capable operator, probably the best in the section,” he said.
Mr Morecroft entered the military when World War II was in full swing in Europe, but fate had a different path for him.
The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour saw Japan enter the war and soon take control of much of Southeast Asia.
In response, Mr Morecroft was deployed to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to support the Australian soldiers fighting on the Kokoda track.
“We worked two hours on, one hour off,” he said.
“We did a necessary job.”
Though many would say Mr Morecroft was brave to be in New Guinea during the Kokoda campaign, he said the credit should go to the soldiers on the track.
“They were the ones who did the hard work,” he said.
Following the Kokoda campaign, Mr Morecroft returned to Australia to teach communications to other military personnel before being demobilised in 1944.
For him, Anzac Day stirs strong feelings.
“I think the idea is wonderful,” he said.