A record crowd turned out to the 2024 Anzac Day Dawn Service in Katherine.
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In front of hundreds of locals and tourists, Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal Commanding Officer Wing Commander Fiona Pearce paid tribute to those who have and continue to serve in the Australian Defence Force.
"Before dawn on 25 April 1915, the first soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the shores of the Gallipoli peninsula.
"It was the start of a battle that was an overwhelming failure for both sides."
WGCDR Pearce said Anzac Day was a day for the nation to commemorate the more than 8,000 Australian soldiers killed at Gallipoli, but also honour the bravery of military personnel, and the families and communities that support them.
"Anzac Day has become a day to honour all who have worn our country's uniform in service.
"As we stand here today, Australian soldiers, sailors and aviators can be found all across the globe, working to make and maintain peace," she said.
"It isn't an easy job, and it's harder still on everyone we leave at home.
"Every day we work to ensure we never has to live through another Anzac Cove, another bloody ... loss of life.
"To all who contribute to that effort, we acknowledge you.
"To all who lost their life in its pursuits, we remember you."
In her speech, WGCDR Pearce also addressed the people of Katherine "who support the endeavours of RAAF Base Tindal, welcome the military staff and families into the community, and work with us to advance the capabilities of the Base".
"In turn, this helps us defend our nation now and into the future," she said.
"RAAF Tindal can't deliver vital capabilities without (the Katherine community's) support."
"We in the Australian Defence Force don't work alone - and we're grateful for everything that Katherine ... does to support us."
From Timor-Leste, Veteran and Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling said he was proud to be able to attend the overseas Dawn Service to pay respect for those who have served and continue to do so.
"109 years since the first Anzacs landed on the beaches of Gallipoli, and 106 years since the Great War waged on the Western Front, the importance of Anzac Day has not at all diminished in the collective minds of Australians," he said.
"Anzac Day gave people a chance to honour the original Anzacs - the Australians and New Zealanders who fought on Gallipoli.
"Then it became a day for those who had served in the First World War.
"With Australians and New Zealanders serving in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations that have followed, Anzac Day has become an occasion to honour all who have worn our countries' uniform in service."
Mr Gosling said during Anzac Day Australians would come together to honour the values that have been invested in the original Anzacs - loyalty, selflessness, courage - and the ways in which later generations have measured their own achievements against those of the soldiers who fought on Gallipoli.