Brauer College's Jacob Price was joined by fellow school captain Gabrielle Allen in giving an address at Dennington's Anzac Day service on Monday.

The pair, with the help of school staff, wrote a poem during the school holidays which they recited in front of about 500 people at the Drummond Street cenotaph.

"It was our grandparents, from Dennington, Warrnambool, Koroit, Port Fairy and other regional areas like ours, who lost the ballot and went to Vietnam," they said.

"It was our great-grandparents who left their country towns to enlist, and sail overseas, many of whom did not come home from World War Two.

"They were our age. They held rifles, shovels, medical and nursing equipment.

"We held phones, iPads, earphones and textbooks. They were our age.

"They said their final goodbyes to friends and loved ones, we said goodnight to our parents before bed - but unlike them, we had a familiar home, a warm bed, a well-fed stomach and well-rested heads.

"They were our age when people all over Australia packed up their lives of peace and went off to fight."

Speaking to The Standard after the service, Mr Price said learning about war "really put things into a lot of perspective".

He said it was eye-opening to think of soldiers being enlisted to war at his age.

"It would have been us in that position, it's unbelievable," Mr Price said.

"We are lucky to live in a world that has developed the way it has and that we have been conflict-free for a long time, however when looking at what's currently happening in Ukraine, it's daunting how easy something like this can happen."

Mr Price said he and Miss Allen practised the poem over FaceTime during the school holidays.

He said it was an honour to take part in one of the region's Anzac Day services.

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