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Message from the Minister for Veterans' Affairs

Australia has a proud history of service in wartime. Since 1901, more than 1.5 million men and women have served Australia in wars and conflicts. More than 102,000 have died for our right to live in a peaceful and democratic society.

Sadly, as the years pass, the ranks of our veterans are diminishing. Fewer can tell their stories and impart the lessons of war. It falls to all of us to honour those who served and to preserve our wartime heritage for the benefit of future generations.

The Australian Government's program, Saluting Their Service, provides us with a very real opportunity to learn about those who have served our nation, on the battlefield and at home.

As we look back to our wartime history, I believe we also must look to the future. A new generation of servicemen and women is responsible for the defence of our nation and protecting the peace and freedoms we value so dearly. Their role and conditions may be very different to those who first served the young Commonwealth so valiantly, but members of the Australian Defence Force take their lineage from the Anzacs and are the proud bearers of a tradition that is integral to our sense of Australian identity.

I urge all Australians to be part of Saluting Their Service.

DANNA VALE MP

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