SIMON Slack-Smith spoke with wisdom beyond his years when he addressed a crowd of thousands at Bathurst's Anzac Day community service.
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A student and head prefect at St Stanislaus College, Mr Slack-Smith offered a thoughtful reflection on the significance of the day, shaped by his own experiences at school.
He noted that at his school's Anzac Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies each year, the names of former students who lost their lives are always read out, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten.
Mr Slack-Smith didn't pretend to be an expert on the harsh realities of war or on the courage it takes to make the ultimate sacrifice, but rather allowed the wisdom of true heroes and scholars to shine through his speech.
He quoted Australian S.A.S corporal Ben Robert Smith, Professor Bruce Scates from Monash University and official World War One historian Charles Bean.
The student also touched on the difference of World War One to any other conflict that came before it, the death toll being the hardest figure to comprehend after the battlefields were cleared.
"Prior to World War One, conflict was primarily based around old style hand-to-hand combat, with the addition of small guns, fixed bayonets and cavalry charges," Mr Slack-Smith said.
"World War One, or the Great War, was a transitional stage to modern warfare. This saw extended technological advancements, including aerial bombardments of cities, the introduction of the tank and the machine gun, development of submarines and chemical and trench warfare
"As a result, World War One produced an immense casualty rate that monstered all preceding conflicts, however this only became apparent to many Australian soldiers once they experienced war first hand."
A staggering 2500 Australians died on the first day of conflict, with the number of Australian casualties reaching 60,000 by the end of the war.
"It is incomprehensible to even consider the reality of modern warfare, which is why we gather every year on this day to remember those who have suffered the ultimate sacrifice, not only in the Great War, but in a number of major conflicts that have transpired in the last century," Mr Slack-Smith said.
At the end of his speech, to a roar of applause, he reinforced the necessity of acknowledging Anzac Day and the continual service of our armed forces with the three words every Australian has at least once uttered.
"Lest we forget."
