Awardee Reflection - Stephen Files

 An Eternal Memory

No words quite describe the journey that was the 2024 Anzac Spirit School Prize.

From the bustling Ho Chi Minh City to the jungle that was Long Tan, the historical impact that this trip left was like no other. It was an extremely eye-opening experience that gave the events that happened in the Vietnam War and everything prior a real feeling. Standing on the battlefield that so many Australians had stood before me, walking through the halls of grand palaces that housed the highest class of the royal family to the polar opposite Cu Chi tunnels that weren’t even tall enough to stand in are all places that I’ve been given a new sense of realism for, a level that I previously didn’t even consider to be possible.

It wasn’t just the places that were given a new meaning, but I’ve been able to connect to the three ANZACS that I researched even further. In particular, both Allan Brian Moss and Elaine Loraine Balfour-Ogilvy served in this part of the world and being able to travel to places that they had been to make their stories even more incredible and inspiring. Being able to stand in places that these people, who died years before I was even born, makes me feel even more connected to them than ever before.

To make this experience truly unforgettable, I travelled with the most incredible group of people, who were both like-minded and shared a passion for history but also had differing opinions and ideas that allowed me to see things through a different lens. While traveling to a foreign land on a different continent is a world opening experience. Traveling there with people that are like no other from my small corner of the world has been the most life changing part of the experience. The bonds that I created on this adventure are stronger than any other I have ever had. They have given me a look into what my future holds once I have moved away from the place that I call home now. And if my future shares any sort of resemblance to this adventure, then I can’t wait to continue my journey through life.