"Never forget the Anzacs. Lest We Forget."
Those are the words from Falcon man, George McQuade, ahead of what will be an Anzac Day unlike any other this weekend.
With national rituals of services and marches cancelled across Australia, the streets will be empty on April 25 for the first time in over a century.
Instead, Peel residents are being asked to unite at the end of their driveways at 6am to pause and remember the Anzacs who fought for their countries at a touching dawn service with a difference.
Mr McQuade will host a driveway dawn service of his own on Saturday, displaying a banner from the second 16th Battalion Association he is a member of.
The 16th Battalion was an Australian Army reserve infantry battalion based in WA and formed during WWI and the Association, Mr McQuade said, has become "like his family".
Mr McQuade would usually hold a banner at the King's Park dawn service and during the Perth Anzac Parade but, in 2020, he will instead lead his own tribute to our fallen service men and women.
"I'm going to set the banner up out the front of my house and have some lights to shine underneath it so everyone can see when it's dark," he said.
"We'll light candles and all the neighbours will join us.
"We want to do our bit for Anzac Day, do the best we can."
We want to do our bit for Anzac Day, do the best we can.
- George McQuade
For Mr McQuade, whose father, grandfather and great-uncle fought in various wars, the military runs through his blood and paying his respects every year could not be more important.
"The Anzacs are so close to me - it's like they are sitting next to me now," he said.
"I was brought up in an Anzac family. My grandad was an Anzac and did the landing at Gallipoli, my nanna had a boarding house for the veterans that were having trouble, my dad was a digger in New Guinea.
"So we had a lot to do with WWI and WWII veterans - we go back a long way, very military minded."
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Mr McQuade said it was imperative, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to still remember those who had made sacrifices with personal commemorations.
"We'll get through this but Anzac Day is something I don't want people to forget," he said.
"The Anzacs did so much for us and most people have no idea what they went through - we got what we have now because of these guys and what they sacrificed.
"This is our history, this is not that long ago and the association is trying to pass on that Anzac spirit to the next generation."
Anyone attending the Mandurah War Memorial privately during the day must obey the COVID-19 protocols and take into consideration whether their visit is essential.
The Australian War Memorial Anzac day service is scheduled to proceed and will be broadcast on the ABC from 3.30am AWST.
The service will involve a revised ceremony with no veterans' march and no members of the public present.
For more information on the #ANZACspirit campaign visit the RSLWA website.
