War hero unleashes over 'disrespectful' Australia Day 'dawn service' move - and sends a brutal message to 'woke' Woolies for its merchandise snub

Waverley Council will host an Australia Day dawn service on January 26 The move has been slammed by Vietnam war veteran Michael von Berg

An Australian war veteran has demanded a Sydney council cancel its Australia Day dawn reflection service, saying it is disrespectful to soldiers who fought and died for their country.

The Anzac Day-style service, hosted by Waverley Council, will acknowledge the resilience and survival of Aboriginal people, recognising it as a ‘day of mourning’ for many First Nations people.

It will include a Welcome to Country from a traditional custodian and a smoking ceremony.

Michael von Berg, a Military Cross recipient who served as a combat soldier in the Vietnam War, has unleashed at the council.

He says that dawn services should be not associated with Australia Day, given their significance to soldiers on Anzac Day.

‘For God’s sake. It’s a disservice not only to the veteran community but also to First Nations soldiers who fought and died for their country,’ he said.

Vietnam War veteran Michael von Ber has slammed Waverley Council’s new way to mark Australia Day

Waverley Council has copped backlash over its decision to hold a dawn ‘reflection’ at Bondi Beach on Australia Day, similar to the one held on Anzac Day each year (pictured)

Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos is pictured with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Mr von Berg, who served alongside Aboriginal soldiers on his first tour of Vietnam in 1966-67, questioned the purpose of the event – describing it as ‘cheap symbolism’.

‘Personally, a dawn service of this nature flies in the face of what they traditionally stand for, which is honouring soldiers,’ he said.

‘This stuff doesn’t help anyone. I have nothing but respect for First Nations people but there’s got to be another way.’

Mr von Berg urged Waverley Council to ‘seriously reconsider’ the event.

‘Hold it on another date,’ he suggested.

However, Mayor of Waverley Council Paula Masselos hit back at criticism of the dawn service given Australia Day was a day of mourning for many First Nations people.

‘As a Council that is committed to social justice, we understand that January 26 can be a difficult day for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and that many in our community are still coming to terms with the result of the Voice to Parliament referendum,’ Mayor Masselos said.

Aussies are divided over Waverley Council’s latest Australia Day move to hold a ‘dawn reflection’ Pictured is a Anzac Day dawn service at Bondi

‘Waverley voters were overwhelmingly in favour of a Voice to Parliament which would have given Australians the opportunity to walk together to recognise, empower and listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by enshrining this voice within the Constitution.’

Australia Day, observed each year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove.

But for many First Nations people, it is regarded as ‘Invasion Day’ or the ‘Day of Mourning’ because it marks the beginning of Australia’s colonisation.

Despite recent debate about Australia’s national public holiday, Mr von Berg and fellow war veterans will fly the Australian flag with pride on Friday,

‘There will be no woke ambiguity in our veteran community in celebrating Australia Day,’ he posted on Facebook on Monday.

‘The Australian flag will be flown high and proud because this flag means more to us than just a piece of cloth.

‘When a soldier dies, that flag is draped over the coffin, which are the arms of the nation embracing that soldier and thanking him/her for their service. The flag flying at half-mast are the tears of the nation mourning that soldier. It means even more.

‘Leave our day and flag alone!’

He also had a scathing message for companies such as Woolworths which have distanced themselves from January 26.

‘Go woke, go broke. I’m sick and tired of being lectured by corporate Australia on how I should celebrate the day,’ Mr von Berg told Daily Mail Australia.

Military Cross recipient Michael von Berg (pictured) urged Waverley Council to reconsider the event or reschedule to another day

This year, both Cricket Australia and the organisers of the Australian Open have announced they will not observe the day as Australia Day.

Questioning the decision of the sporting bodies, NSW Premier Chris Minns said Australia Day was an ‘opportunity’ for Australians to ‘come together and the fact that we live in the greatest country on Earth’.

‘There’s not many opportunities where we get to spend a day away from work come together as a community and recognise how great it is to live here,’ he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a day where Australians could ‘reflect on who we are as a nation’.

‘January 26 commemorates the founding of the colony in NSW but also in recent times, of course multicultural Australia as well,’ he said.