As a pair of fighter jets tore through the skies over Darwin on Sunday morning, cannon fire and gunshots sounded and an air-raid siren rang out.
The display marked the 81st anniversary of the first Japanese air raids on Australia during World War II, which hit Darwin from 9:58am on February 19, 1942.
Taking the city by surprise, the two attacks killed between 230 and 250 people — both defence personnel and civilians — and injured up to 400.
It was the first time the war reached mainland Australian soil, and would be followed by about 90 more Japanese raids across northern Australia over the next two years.
"It was the bloodiest and most destructive single military action ever launched against this country," City of Darwin acting chief executive Chris Kelly said at the commemorative ceremony for the anniversary this morning.
"More bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour."
Among the crowd gathered at the Darwin Esplanade was Larrakia elder and traditional owner Donna Odegaard, whose father lived through the bombing.
She said she laid a wreath at the ceremony every year, and it was important for her father that she never stopped remembering the significance of the day.
"His whole life really was impacted and influenced by what happened," she said.
"[My dad] kept the stories going, and it was important for him that I continued to carry on that legacy".
Air force veteran Austin Asche said he had family and friends who were in Darwin at the time of the bombing.
"We must always be ready," he said.
"Something like this could happen again.
"We must never lose our guard … You never know what could happen".
Also marking the tragedy was Stephen Martin, a member of the Nackaroo and Norforce Association, a group which preserves the history of defence forces in northern Australia.
His lapel decorated with rows of medals, Mr Martin said Sunday's ceremony was "crucially important".
"It's an amazingly important day for not just the Top End, but the whole of Australia. It should be a nationally recognised day," he said.
"People need to make sure that these sacrifices are not forgotten."
A separate service was held this morning to commemorate the sinking of US navy destroyer USS Peary in the bombing, in which about 90 people were killed.
Veterans, victims recognised
The two remaining veterans of the bombing, Brian Winspear and Basil Stahl, did not attend this year's ceremony but watched it via live stream.
They were often mentioned in the event's formalities, which included speeches from Federal Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh, Shadow Veterans Affairs Minister Barnaby Joyce and City of Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis.
Several speakers also paid tribute to relatives who died, were injured or were in Darwin when the bombs fell.
Among them were Larrakia senior elder Bilawara Lee, whose grandfather was killed during the raids, and NT Administrator Hugh Heggie whose mother was in Darwin at the time working as an ambulance driver.
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the bombing had devastated Darwin and its people and left a legacy that remained to this day.
"For most, the first warning that Darwin was under attack was when the bombs landed," she said.
"We say 'lest we forget' as a firm warning to ourselves that we must never let the significance of this day slip into oblivion, and we will never allow that to happen.
"We will not forget the day when war first came to Australian shores."
