Kade Snowden never has to search far to remember the importance of Anzac Day.
Tattooed on his left ankle is the Rising Sun Badge accompanied with the words, ‘Lest we forget’.
It’s a permanent reminder and tribute to his grandfather Bryant, who fought in the Korean War from 1950-53.
He was just 16 at the time, but used his brother’s birth certificate to fight in Korea because he wanted to honour his father who was a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II.
Snowden's great grandfather was based in Nagasaki when the United States dropped a second nuclear bomb on August 9, 1945. (The first was in Hiroshima on August 6)
He survived the blast, but passed away from cancer eight years ago.
It's an inspiring tale that's never far from Snowden's mind, especially on Anzac Day.
"It’s a special day of the year, not just me, but for our entire family," Snowden says.
"Pop stole his brother’s birth certificate, so he could go over there at the age of 16.
"But they didn’t know that, so he went to war in Korea.
"I think that’s a really big thing and really courageous and that was the main reason for the tattoo.
"Pop's father was in the Second World War and was in Japan as a prisoner of war when one of the big bombs went off.
"Maybe that was one of my grandpa’s reasons for going to Korea."
Snowden says he had an incredibly close relationship with his pop.
From taking him to the football or going fishing, his grandfather was always there for him and his siblings.
"Pop was pretty special to me and my other brothers and my sister," he says of his grandfather, who was also a handy local footballer with Toronto and Gateshead.
"We miss him a lot, but this is how we remember him.
"You think you’ve got an easy life, but at the age of 16 going to Korea and fighting for your country would be the last thing you’d be thinking.
"And he did that."
As Snowden’s pop was still a minor when he fought in Korea, he had his medals repossessed before the family fought hard to get them reinstated.
This was a difficult period for the family, but well worth in the end according to Kade.
"They had to go through a lot of stages to get them (the medals) back and getting him a military headstone," he explains.
"It was a long process, but they got a few things that they wanted back but not everything."
Snowden attended the dawn service in Speers Point in Lake Macquarie this morning with his father Chris and two brothers Jake and Riley.
The Knights bookend says it's always a special time to not only honour his family's involvement in war, but to pay his respects to every Australian who has served our country.
"We’ve been going the last four years," he explains.
"It means a lot seeing all the other old diggers march through there and just pay our respects.
"Pop is especially in my mind this week, but he is in the back of my mind every time I play and we'll never forget him."
