Thousands of veterans have taken part in ANZAC Day marches across the country but there are some who choose not to be part of the commemoration. One of them is the country's oldest living World War II veterans, 106-year-old Colin Wagener.

Thousands of veterans across the country participate in ANZAC Day marches annually, commemorating their service. However, some choose not to join these commemorations, including the country's oldest living World War II veteran, 106-year-old Colin Wagener. Wagener, who enlisted in the Army at the young age of 20 in 1938, embarked on a journey that would take him through the heart of conflict, importantly to Borneo. His remarkable story is punctuated by personal loss as he was the sole survivor among his group of friends who joined the forces together.

During his service, Wagener ascended to the rank of Sergeant, a role that presented him with unique experiences, including the opportunity to capture moments of historical significance. As a keen photographer, he traded cigarettes for darkroom supplies to develop photographs at night, some of which have been featured at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Returning home in 1945, Wagener's post-war life was characterized by a deep respect for Anzac Day, though he personally chose not to participate in marches, regarding the occasion as a profound, personal observance rather than a public display.

Wagener's reflections on service and the commemoration of military contributions underline a broader perspective among veterans. He acknowledges the diversity in how individuals choose to remember and honor their service, noting that while some embrace public recognition, others, like himself, prefer a more private acknowledgment. Now in his bonus years, as he affectionately terms them, Wagener credits his longevity to an active lifestyle and continues to live out his years with the tranquility that comes from his wartime experiences and personal choices in remembrance.



The Diggers who don't march on Anzac Day

In 1938, at just 20 years of age, Colin Waggoner joined the Army with his three best friends. I knew a war was coming and I thought we waited before they came and got us sort of thing. He would be the only one of the foursome to return home. During his service, Mr Waggoner worked his way up the ranks to Sergeant, a promotion that took him on an unexpected journey. It was very, very secret where we were going and we finished up in a convoy heading for Borneo. As a keen photographer, Mr Waggoner knew he had to capture the moment of history. He traded rationed cigarettes for darkroom equipment to develop film at night. Those photos would later feature at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. That's the front line, just there. He returned home at the end of the war in 1945, eventually boarding a train to Adelaide. My father picked me up and brought me home. It was a wonderful feeling to walk up to my front door, knowing I'd never have to go away again. The now 106-year-old describes Anzac Day as his holy day, but the veteran has never chosen to march. I respect it all, and I do what I have to do, but it's not my thing. Some people finished their service life and they wanted to go back to their life. They didn't see it as a continuation, they wanted to go back to something else. And others, in my view, wrongly, treat their service differently from the way that other veterans treat their service. Mr Waggoner considers the years after the end of the war as his bonus years, and attributes his longevity to living an active lifestyle. I think with health, I'm just lucky. And so he marches on in his bonus years, he'll be 107 in December.

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