Cameron Halmi is gearing up to give the 2019 dawn service keynote address on Anzac Day in Port Macquarie.
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A Navy cadet and year 8 student at Hastings Secondary College Westport Campus, he said giving the dawn service address is a special honour.
"It is important to look back on the past and I am grateful to be given the opportunity to speak at the dawn service," Cameron said.
"I am proud to be a Seaman in TS Rushcutter Port Macquarie which is our local Navy cadet unit.
"My brother did cadets and for me it is something that has given me a lot of confidence and skills to use in my everyday life.
"I have been given leadership opportunities, have better organisational skills and developed discipline as a result of being a cadet and that makes me happy.
"I think I am able to connect with the veterans who have served because in the future I hope to do that too."
Cameron said on days like Anzac Day and Remembrance Day it is crucial that the whole community gets on board to support our soldiers, past, present and future.
"From the first Anzacs who served at Gallipoli to those who are currently serving, Anzac Day is about pausing to remember the service of our soldiers," he said.
"There have been so many wars and so many men and women who have died and risked their lives for us that we need to remember them and what they did.
"Even today there are lots of peacekeeping missions and men and women are still risking their lives for us.
"It is also important that everyone remembers what happened in the past including young people like me so in the future we do not forget.
"It is a huge sacrifice that the men and women who serve give and I want to acknowledge that."
He said despite the early start on April 25, the tradition of a dawn service is something special.
"It takes all of us to remember the past and talk about the legacy our diggers left behind for our future."
In Port Macquarie the dawn service will begin at 5.30am at the war memorial on the corner of Clarence and Horton streets.
The main service march will commence at 10am with the commemoration service at 10.30am.
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