The haunting sound of the bugle playing ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’ reverberated through the Lismore CBD today at the Remembrance Day ceremony. 

At the Molesworth Street RSL memorial, wreathes were laid and 150 people gathered to take a minute’s silence and remember those who went to war.

For Lismore RSL sub-branch volunteer Vicky Youngberry, the event was a particularly emotional journey.

“My husband and I have family involved in the war,” she said. “It was so good to see so many people in the community come out to show respect – especially since it was on a working day through the week."

Lismore sub-branch RSL secretary Wilson McLellan said it was “a nice surprise” at the ceremony to see the crew from the two black hawk choppers, which arrived in Lismore yesterday.

Read more: Black Hawk Helicopters fly over and land in Lismore

“It was an honour to have them attend and it was great that we didn’t get the heavy rain that was forecast.”

Numbers were down on pre-Covid Remembrance Day ceremonies and Wilson said planning for a ceremony through the changing Covid restrictions had been difficult.

"But that everyone signed in and was double jabbed," he said.

Wilson said this year’s theme of ‘Remember to Remember’ was especially appropriate for Remembrance Day.

“It’s something we can’t let go of – we need to remember that so many sacrificed their lives and didn’t come home from war - or did come home and they and their families still suffered from it.”

“We commemorate this day because, on 11/11/1918, a formal truce was signed ceasing hostilities during the first world war. That’s when discussion for a peace treaty started wasn’t signed until 1923 and millions of people were lost in the first world war.

“It’s often called the war to end all wars, but it failed to do that.

“It used to be called Armistice Day, but now we call it Remembrance Day and it’s a time of reflection where pay homage to those who suffered, remember the carnage that was WW1 and hope we don’t do it again."

North Lismore ceremony

Earlier in the morning, another small ceremony was held at the at the North Lismore war memorial.

Organiser ex-Vietnam veteran Ken Jolley said the location of that memorial was important because it was the location where local soldiers boarded the train to take them off to war in World War 1.

“It was fantastic to see about 24 people show up, Ken said.

“We had some of the school captains here and Thomas George came too, to show respect for the diggers there."

Read more abut the memorial: Two remembrance ceremonies invite you to stop in silence today