Photo By Leslie Herlick | Retired Lt. Col. Fred Dunaway, former commander of the 135th Assault Helicopter...... read more read more
FORT RUCKER, Ala. — As the sun began to rise over Veterans Park on April 25, Soldiers, families, veterans, and international partners gathered for the 2026 ANZAC Day Dawn Service, a ceremony rooted in more than a century of remembrance and shared sacrifice.
Australian Capt. Sophie Agathangelidis opened the service, welcoming senior leaders, veterans of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company, and members of the Fort Rucker community. She emphasized the significance of holding the ceremony “amongst our close friends and allies in this most sacred of places.”
Lt. Col. Jeremy Mierendorff, the Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE) Australian Foreign Liaison Officer, delivered the keynote address, reflecting on the origins of ANZAC Day and the enduring legacy of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. He recounted the April 25, 1915, landing at Gallipoli, where thousands of Australians and New Zealanders were killed or wounded during the first day of the campaign. Over the eight months that followed, more than 8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders lost their lives.
Mierendorff described ANZAC Day as “the most sacred of days on the Australian calendar,” highlighting the values born at Gallipoli, courage, determination, endurance, service, and mateship, that continue to define Australian service members today.
His address also honored the shared history between U.S. and Australian forces, including the unique partnership of the 135th Assault Helicopter Company and the Royal Australian Navy during the Vietnam War. The Experimental Military Unit (EMU), formed in 1967, saw some of the conflict’s most intense combat. Mierendorff recognized former commanding officer, retired Lt. Col. Fred Dunaway, who attended the ceremony along with other EMU veterans.
The service included a reading of “In Flanders Fields” by Australian Capt. Peter Oliver, followed by the laying of wreaths by Mierendorff representing the Australian Defence Force; Robert Doerer, AVCOE Deputy to the Commanding General representing the US Army; and Dunaway representing the 135th AHC.
Further honoring the "EMUs" of the Vietnam War, retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 John Crowley read the 36 names from the 135th AHC Roll of Honor. The reading of the roster served as a powerful reminder of the deep personal cost of the unit's historic service.
Australian Capt. Luke Gadd led the Ode of Remembrance, reciting: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old…We will remember them.”
Mierendorff closed by acknowledging not only those who served, but also the families who “live with the constant stress of not knowing what their loved one is doing abroad” and who share in the ANZAC spirit.
“Today we stand to remember our heroes,” he said. “We honor their legacy and use it as a motivator to strive for excellence.”
The ceremony concluded with the traditional phrase echoed across generations and continents: “Lest we forget.”
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2026 09:40 |
| Story ID: | 563593 |
| Location: | ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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