Millicent briefly paused on Saturday morning as 150 mourners paid tribute to wartime service and sacrifice at the annual Remembrance Day service at the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice.
Held in mild weather under blue skies, the Remembrance Day ceremony was arranged by the Millicent RSL and lasted for about 30 minutes.
The service was led by Millicent RSL vice-president Bruce Clayson and honorary chaplain Pastor Paul Hales and included the traditional minute of silence at exactly 11am and singing of the national anthem.
Millicent RSL president Chris Mathias said the community has a duty to remember the fallen.
“We have the freedom to live our lives the way we want but that freedom came at a huge cost,” Mr Mathias said.
“We must also remember those who serve in today’s armed forces.”
Official wreaths were laid by Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll and the RSL, Member for Barker Tony Pasin, representatives of the Millicent Legacy Widows Club, SA Ambulance Service, Lions Club of Wattle Range Lioness and the Millicent Lions Club and by students from the Millicent High, Millicent North, Newbery Park, St Anthony’s and Mount Burr schools and the McArthur Park and Millicent North kindergartens.
While the wreaths were being laid, the traditional laments were played by bagpiper Andrew Cruickshanks who is the president of the Blue Lake Highland Pipe Band.
His late father Alex Cruickshanks served with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and then moved to Millicent.
There were no World War II veterans in attendance, however there was a handful of returned service personnel from Vietnam and other wars.
It was 105 years since the guns fell silent at the 11 hour on the 11 day of the 11 month to mark the end of World War I.
As part of the Remembrance Day observation, the Millicent RSL again erected a field of cross poppies to honour those local service personnel who have died in battle or since.
The Boneham aged care facility in Millicent held its own Remembrance Day commemoration along with the Beachport community at their two foreshore war memorials.
A Remembrance Day event was also held for the Southend seaside community by its Progress Association and five deceased ex-service personnel from the local Smith family were honoured.
