THERE were tears, poppies and even some Australian beer as the upstate New York village of Saranac Lake marked Anzac Day by paying its respects to a foreign soldier it never knew.
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Mayor Clyde Rabideau and seven companions neared the summit of Scarface Mountain on Friday morning to mark the spot where Captain Paul McKay's body was found in January, after a two-week search in sub-zero conditions.
The group, including New York State forest rangers, the village police chief and Australian Army Major Cameron Satrapa, collected some rocks to create a cairn memorial and placed a blue ribbon and a poppy on it.
''We said some prayers and toasted Captain McKay with some Australian beer,'' Mr Rabideau said. ''It was a nice, simple, solemn service.''
The soldier had left a nearby hotel in freezing conditions with inadequate clothing and gear on December 31, a day after emailing his father in Adelaide to say he was leaving him his possessions.
Following the climb, the Anzac Day service at the village's World War I memorial was read a letter from the parents of the Afghanistan veteran, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise reported.
''He was in the township for less than a day and held conversations with perhaps only three or four people, but the locals took him to their hearts and identified him as one of their own,'' the letter reportedly read.
The letter, read by the Royal Australian Navy's Lieutenant-Commander Kathryn McCabe, gave the most detailed public insight to date of Captain McKay's struggles with post-traumatic stress.
''Sadly, Paul was never the same when he returned from Afghanistan,'' it read.
''It was tremendously sad for us, as his family, who could remember such a fun-loving person, to see him with no life in his face and no light in his eyes.''
The letter said the parents believed Captain McKay would have experienced peace and tranquillity in the serene Adirondack Mountains on his final day. ''We now give him back to God with our thanks, our gratitude, our prayers and, most of all, our love.''
The service, which included the Ode of Remembrance, was attended by about 150 people. An autopsy found Captain McKay died from irregular heartbeat due to hypothermia, and a coroner ruled the death a suicide.
His parents hope to scatter his ashes where he was found on a visit to the United States next month.
■ Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
