EVERY day is Remembrance Day for Graham and Ann Brown, whose son Jason was killed in an ambush while serving with special forces in Afghanistan in August 2010.

“We remember every day,” Mr Brown, a Vietnam veteran, said. “It’s important for others to remember. It’s just a minute of your life.”

He and his wife were at a Remembrance service at the front of Castle Hill RSL Club on Wednesday to lay a wreath for their son and remember others.

At 11am, at the other end of Castle St, Castle Towers shopping centre fell silent for a minute. The Ode was read and a bugler played to mark Remembrance Day and the end of World War I, 97 years ago.

Mrs Brown said she was glad Castle Towers held a minute’s silence.

“The minute’s silence is important, especially with so many bad things going on in the world,” she said.

As a family, the Browns always watched the Anzac Day parade in the city.

“Jason wanted to join the army since he was in primary school, I thought he would change his mind but he never did,” his mum said.

As soon as he left Oakhill College, Castle Hill, after his HSC, Jason signed up and did tours of East Timor with the 1RAR, his father’s former infantry regiment, before joining the commandos in 4RAR.

He did a third tour of East Timor before heading to Afghanistan. Trooper Jason Brown had served for 10 years when he died at the age of 29.

Wreaths and poppies were also laid during the service by students from Castle Hill Public, Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne, Castle Hill MP Ray Williams, Supt Rob Critchlow and Hills SES Controller Evelyn Lester, along with Castle Hill RSL president Warren Glenny and Castle Hill RSL subbranch president Don Tait.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alain Dunand spoke about World War I, the “war to end all wars”. “Seventy million people were mobilised, 13 million died,” he said. “There is nothing glorious about war.”

On Sunday, ceramic poppies, created a blanket of red at a services to Remember the Fallen, which was held at the Balcombe Heights Estate, Baulkham Hills.