Those worn on the left belong to the person who earned them through their own service.
Those worn on the right are worn in honour of someone else — a parent, grandparent, partner or other relative who once served.
They catch the light at dawn services, parades, and quiet moments of remembrance.
We notice them, but we do not always stop to think about what they represent or the lives behind them.
Some of those medals tell firsthand stories of service while others speak for someone no longer able to stand there themselves.
Either way, behind every medal is a story — often many stories — of service, sacrifice and shared experience.
Some stories include danger and loss — others include long months away from home, of lifelong friendships and moments of fear balanced by moments of laughter.
There are stories of travel to places all over the world, of learning new skills, of doing jobs that mattered, and of standing shoulder to shoulder with mates when it counted most.
My medals were earned on operational service, serving in ships in the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, often in challenging parts of the world where risk was ever present, but rarely, if ever, spoken about.
The stories the medals tell do not stand out at a glance, but they represent watches kept at sea, months away from home living on a warship, the responsibilities that came with service and the quiet understanding you were part of something larger — doing a job that mattered for New Zealand.
You will not always hear those stories told freely. Many people who served do not speak much about it — not because they are unwilling, but because they are humble. To them, it was simply what they did.
Often it was a long time ago, part of another chapter of life.
The medals may sit quietly in a drawer for most of the year only to be brought out on Anzac Day.
This Anzac Day, if you see someone wearing medals and find yourself wondering what they mean, or whose story they tell, consider asking.
You might hear an amazing story — you might learn something about our history, or about the person standing beside you.
And in sharing those stories, we help ensure that the meaning behind the medals — and the service they represent — is not forgotten. Lest We Forget.
- Nigel Finnerty, Southland Regional Royal New Zealand Naval Officer Lieutenant Commander
