Thousands of people line the streets of Tamworth for Anzac Day march

The RSL brass band and Tamworth pipe band drummed to the beat of Waltzing Matilda and I am Australian as war veterans or their descendants, uniformed personnel, schools and community groups marched along Peel Street from 10am on April 25.

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The march ended at the Tamworth War Memorial Town Hall on Fitzroy Street at about 10:45am, where the main service was held.

Kim Vlassoff was among those in the crowd, waving as her 14-year-old son Michael marched in the uniform of an Australian Army Cadet.

"It's very moving," Mrs Vlassoff said.

"I was in tears when I was watching the veterans with their medals. It is a very special day that we hold dear."

Kerry Walden said he was there out of respect for the men and women who served under the Australian flag during times of war.

He also served for about nine years from 1962 to 1971 in the Royal Australian Navy, being deployed to New Guinea and the far East, including Malaysia, and Vietnam.

"It's funny. We were young and we had a different outlook on life in those days," Mr Walden said.

"As we [the Navy] were taking the [army] troops over, we could tell each one of them thought they weren't going to come back."

Mr Walden said he did about seven trips to Vietnam after he worked for a couple of years patrolling on an aircraft carrier.

"But it wasn't so much a worry for me," Mr Walden said.

"I was 19 and bulletproof. Back then, it was drilled into us that it was [first serve] the Queen, Navy, and then family."

The march followed the Dawn Service at Anzac Park on Brisbane Street, where RSL Tamworth president David Howells led the service, followed by the bugle call, a minute's silence, and wreath-laying ceremony.

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