A good Anzac muster under a grey sky

By ANNE BESTON

As the 200 marchers come to a halt outside the RSA in Onehunga, Ray Beehre is waiting under a grey, threatening sky.

"A good muster," says the 85-year-old World War II veteran, who does not march himself these days.

Mr Beehre has missed only one Anzac Day parade in the decades since he served in the Medical Corps during the battle of Crete in 1941 and was captured and held in a German prison camp for more than two years.

It is his day. He proudly wears his medals - two Africa Stars for serving in the Middle East, a medal from the Greek Government for service in Greece and Crete and three New Zealand Defence Force medals.

The story of his service, One Man's War, featured yesterday in the Herald. He is getting some good-natured ribbing from his mates.

"I couldn't find a paper this morning, Ray, you've been out and bought them all," says one of them.

Mr Beehre enjoys this day, seeing a couple of friends and having "a grog".

But first is the Anzac Day service in the large, airy Onehunga and District RSA hall, where the Reverend Bill Law surveys the numbers gathered before him.

The crowds get bigger and bigger every year, he says, making a point of including younger members of the 400-plus congregation.

He tells them that although this might seem like a celebratory day, it is also a sad day, a day when people remember the servicemen and women who gave their lives for their country.

"It's very important to remember, because if we forget, we lose our past and the past shapes our present and our future," he says.

Once the strains of God Defend New Zealand fade it is off to the bar.

Sipping a vodka and lemon, Mr Beehre joins a small group. Some are World War II veterans, one served in the Korean War.

Allen Rogers served with the New Zealand Army Third Division in the Pacific during World War II, Yorky Allan was in the Merchant Navy.

Mr Allan has just won the Anzac Day Cup at the Onehunga RSA Bowling Club, "the best little bowling club in the world".

He was surprised to see his name on the cup; he thought it was the first time he had won it.

There are lots of laughs, lots of smiles and lots of handshakes today.

But none of the men round the table forgets for a moment why he is here.

"Anzac Day means a lot to me," Mr Beehre says.

"We come down to take part in a service in memory of our comrades that in some cases didn't come back. And over the years a lot of mates have died.

"World War II was supposed to be the war to end all wars but that didn't happen did it?"

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