FORMER Leeton shire resident Jim Geltch was handed the honour of being this year’s guest speaker at the town’s main Anzac Day service on Saturday.
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Mr Geltch is the current chief executive officer of the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars and is a passionate World War I amateur historian.
He has explored and managed tours for young Australians to Gallipoli and the French and Belgium World War I battlefields on numerous occasions.
Mr Geltch said he was excited to be in Leeton to deliver the guest speaker speech.
“It’s fantastic to see everyone here marking Anzac Day on what is always a very special day,” he said.
Mr Geltch said at the moment the Leeton service was being marked was the same time 100 years ago the young Anzacs would have been preparing to land at Gallipoli.
He said that particular event was a big part of Australia’s history.
“I thought it fitting to reflect on the history of Anzac,” Mr Geltch said.
Mr Geltch spoke about the significance of the Last Post.
“It was tradition that the bugle call marked the end of the day,” he said. “It symbolised the end of the soldiers day.”
While he has a keen interest in World War 1, Mr Geltch also has extensive knowledge of agriculture. In 2001 he was awarded an Order of Australia honour for service to primary industry in the field of irrigated agriculture.
Mr Geltch also discussed the ode, saying there remained significance behind the words included.
He said the line “they shall not grow old as we that are left grow old” reminded residents of the sacrifice made and that as a nation we should never forget what was given in order to live the way we do today.
While Mr Geltch was delivering his talk, aircraft from the Temora Aviation Museum flew over the service. He said it was important for Australians to never forget the sacrifice made at Gallipoli and the ensuing conflicts the country’s armed forces have been involved in.
“Lest We Forget … (those words) are a reminder that we must never forget the supreme sacrifice made,” he said.