Warrant Officer Class One Gerard Foran was among the veterans honoured before the Anzac Day AFL match between Collingwood and Essendon. Photos: Supplied.
In January 2025, Echuca-born Warrant Officer Class One Gerard Foran celebrated 40 years of service in the Australian Army.
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Last week, at the Anzac Day AFL match between Collingwood and Essendon, WO1 Foran was honoured for this milestone.
Before the game, a motorcade of veterans circled the Melbourne Cricket Ground, including WO1 Foran.
“I’m just absolutely chuffed to bits,” he said.
“I’m very honoured and humbled for that.”
Growing up in Echuca, after a few years delivering the Riv, WO1 Foran enlisted as an electronics technician in the Army Apprentices School on January 9, 1985 at just 15 years and 11 months old.
From there, he was posted across the country, including in Melbourne, Puckapunyal, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide and Townsville.
WO1 Foran also spent time overseas with the British Army’s 39 Regiment Royal Artillery, as well as in East Timor.
Veterans’ motorcade participants before the game. Photo: AFL Photos.
His contributions were proudly displayed in the form of medals on Anzac Day, including Australian Active Service for East Timor and Southeast Asia; International Force East Timor; Defence Long Service; Australian Defence and United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor medals.
On his right side, WO1 Foran wore his grandfather’s medals from his service during World War I.
“I was representing a lot of our family,” he said.
“We’ve got a fair history within defence, to the point where my grandfather and great-uncle were part of the Gallipoli campaign, which is unbelievable.”
Foran family members Rob, Peter, Ben, Gerard and Jason.
Anzac Day is always a special event for the Foran family, being a time to acknowledge the service of Gerard’s grandfather, great-uncle, uncle and now his nephew, who is posted in Darwin.
“It’s a real true feeling within my family because of the fact that my grandfather and great-uncle were there,” WO1 Foran said.
“They were the ones that basically started and were part of the initial tradition that has become Anzac Day, ultimately providing us with the freedom that we enjoy today.”
Marking four decades in the Defence Force, WO1 Foran is preparing to wrap up his career, seeing out a project from tender to final operational capability.
“I’ve been in instructional and command positions right through to current day, which is where I’ll finish up,” he said.
“I’m part of what’s called Joint Project 2060 Phase 3 ... we’re introducing a new, deployable health capability, so effectively like a mobile agile hospital.
“I hope to get through to the 9th of January 2026 ... and then I will be retiring.”
WO1 Gerard Foran with his brother Peter Foran and nephew Rob Foran, both of whom live in Echuca.
Being able to represent himself and his family at the end of his defence career was an honour for WO1 Foran.
Gerard’s brother, Peter, accompanied him on the day at the ’G.
“My brother, Peter, who still lives there in Echuca,” WO1 Foran said.
“I just knew that he would be chuffed to come, he’d be absolutely stoked, and he was.
“It was just an awe-inspiring experience, seeing everyone clapping and cheering, I was feeling quite emotional about it.”
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