A sea of flags and a chorus of applause washed over St Georges Terrace this morning as tens of thousands of West Australians gathered to pay their respects at this year’s Anzac Day parade.
Spectators crowded the thoroughfare from 9am and spent the next hour and a half clapping as the soldiers marched by in a display of solemn pride.
For 80-year-old Warren Crathren Pierce, the day is less about the pageantry and more about the people.
An attendee for nearly his entire life, Mr Pierce’s commitment to the day is unwavering.
“Oh yeah, I come every Anzac Day,” he said.
“I’ve been here every year for 79 years. But I don’t come for the parade I come in memory of the guys I knew in the army.”
Having marched in the parade for over 20 years, Mr Pierce noted that he is now “too old for that,” but his presence remains a constant.
“I always yell out to the ones I knew from the army instead,” he said.
“I like to come every year to talk to different people and hope to see people I know.”
His connection to the tradition spans the nation, having marched in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Alice Springs.
His legacy is already being passed to the next generation; his grandchildren in Melbourne attend the march in their home state wearing their grandad’s replica medals.
Adorned with a hat filled with pins collected over decades, Mr Pierce is focused on ensuring the spirit of the day outlives him.
“I’ve been collecting pins for years and years and years,” he said.
“When I see little kids, sometimes I like to give one to them so it lives on beyond me.”
Reflecting on the turnout, Mr Pierce said the march this year was one of the best he had seen. “This year was a good march because it was a long march,” he said.
“Lots of people participated which is great to see.”
As the march concluded, Mr Pierce prepared to head home to continue a unique tradition.
“Every year I toast to the mates I’ve lost with two rum and Cokes,” he said.
“Anzac Day is the only day of the year I will ever drink.”
While some like Mr Pierce have been coming for decades, others are just being introduced to the tradition.
Daniell Webb, 28, brought her 10-month-old baby to the city for the first time to watch his father walk in the parade.
Her eldest child, five-year-old Lyla, was also in the thick of the excitement.
“I love the parade because I get to see my daddy,” Lyla said.
“Daddy works on a boat… I love it here today because I waved at him with my flag.”
Lyla’s dad serves in the Navy alongside a close friend, whose own daughter, five-year-old Isabel, shared in the sentiment.
“I like waving at my mummy, who also works on the boat,” she said.
For Ms Webb, the day serves as a vital learning moment.
“It’s really important for us that they understand what Anzac Day is especially with what her dad does for a job,” she said.
While some families watched their loved ones march, others walked in their stead.
Maureen Viney marched in honour of her father.
“Today I marched for my father,” Ms Viney said. “When my mum was unwell, and it was her last march in 2001, she broke down and cried that she couldn’t do it anymore, so I’ve marched ever since.
“All the family come every year and my son actually carried the banner today for the first time.”
Ms Viney said she hoped the parade attendees would today feel the warmth and pride she feels when thinking about her father.
“I just hope people can be proud of what our fellow people did for them,” she said.
For serving members of the Defence Force, the day offered a chance to share their reality with their children.
Nitin Chaudhary, who serves in the Army, brought his children to the city for the first time.
“I work with the 13th Brigade, so we went to Irwin Barracks for the dawn service, and this is the first time that my kids were there for the dawn service, and from there we took a train to come to the city to see the parade,” he said.
The children were left captivated by the experience, already eager for next year.
“They absolutely loved it,” Mr Chaudhary said. “They were very excited when I told them that we’re going to go.
“We will 100 per cent take them again. They really loved it and there already saying they want to go every year.”
His wife, Vibha, emphasised the deeper meaning behind the spectacle.
“It’s a good opportunity to teach the kids about the sacrifice of the people and the soldiers, we are lucky to be a part of it now,” she said.
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