Charlie Parrott, a World War II veteran who spent four of his 98 years as a POW in Poland, considered himself lucky to be watching the Anzac Day dawn service in Darwin.
If not for the two Polish strangers who found him malnourished and with a badly injured knee sheltering in a cellar after he escaped, he would have died.
But he returned, had a family and moved from Victoria to the Top End while working for the Aboriginal Affairs Department.
"It was pretty tough going in the POW camp, I hope we never have to go through it again," he told AAP, laughing.
"I did not serve my country as much as I'd like to because I was taken prisoner of war.
"I don't like looking back, but I've had a very lucky life."
The world has changed greatly since then.
Women currently serving or who have served in the defence forces lead the march in Darwin for the first time, receiving a rousing cheer from the large crowds gathered to pay tribute.
Among the marchers was Lara Bullpit-Troy, commanding officer of the joint logistics unit for Australia's north who has done tours in East Timor and the Middle East.
She was inspired to join by an uncle in the air force, and said she had had an exciting career that made a positive contribution, such as helping clean up after Cyclone Marcus last month.
"Women have served for many years, even back in the World Wars in the nursing corps and other service," Ms Bullpit-Troy told AAP.
"This is just highlighting there is that diversity in defence, there are a lot of women serving members, they deserve recognition as well."
The thousands attending the Dawn Service were told how Anzac Day holds a particular resonance for Darwin, given its history of being bombed by the Japanese in WWII.
The service at the cenotaph overlooks Darwin harbour, where the first of a series of raids began.
Darwin is a now major military town with 12,000 defence force personnel living there, and a growing number of US marines.
Decorated army commander and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Matthew Pearse told the crowd while Anzac Day was established to recognise Gallipoli, we now paused to remember all who had fought for the nation around the world.
"With the passage of years, the loss of family members has not faded but mellowed from sharp pain to enduring sadness, that is the nature of grief and bereavement," he said.
