This April has been deemed the busiest month in history for Young’s Army Cadet Unit, who by April 29 will have participated in 13 Anzac services.
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Tomorrow alone the cadets will be involved in eight services, where their day will begin at 4am and won’t finish until 10pm.
While most of us will still be in bed, these teenagers will be up ironing their uniforms, polishing their brass belts, pressing their hats and making sure they’re neat and presentable in time to be at the Young Dawn Service outside Town Hall at 5.30am.
From there they will attend two cemetery services, head to Murringo, back to Anderson Park and Town Hall, to Bimbi and finish in Bribbaree that afternoon.
And there’ll be no time to chill out in between.
“They’ll either be doing a service or they’ll be eating,” Major (AAC) Phillip Mitchell said.
“It is [crazy] but at the same time it’s what we’re here for… it all started on April 1 and will finish on April 29.
“They’re very dedicated.”
The cadets - 17 in total and aged between 13 and 19 years - have already covered three ceremonies at two of the local lodges and the war cenotaph unveiling in Murringo on April 11.
Today they’ll be at Young High School for their Anzac Day service, with their duties rounding-out with Hennessy Catholic College’s Anzac Day service on Wednesday.
“We try and make sure to fit everyone in,” Major Mitchell said.
“They’re ready to go, the kids do it willingly.”
The cadets spent three hours on Wednesday night practicing their drills, and have been doing so since February, in the lead up to Anzac Day.
“They’ve got to function as a unit - stand the same, hats the same, look the same, posture the same - everything has got to be the same,” Major Mitchell said.
“We rely on every one of them to work together.”
The cadets will also be carrying two new banners, obtained through a Southern Phones community grant especially for the centenary.
The banners - complete with the unit’s full name across a rising sun image of soldiers in the background - made their first appearance at Murringo’s cenotaph unveiling.
The smaller banner will lead the cadets during the Anzac Day march, while the larger banner will lead the town’s servicemen and women.
“It’s us honouring them for their 100th year… this will remind people this is what happened in the 100th year,” Major Mitchell said.
