ANZAC Day

25th April 1915 saw the start of the Galipoli Campaign, a campaign in which almost nine thousand Australians and three thousand New Zealanders (along with another thirty-two thousand from Britain, France, India and Newfoundland) die in the abortive eight month campaign.

This was the coming of age for these two antidopodean nations and is a day when we remember the sacrifice of those who were landed in the wrong place at the wrong time with such cost.

Each and every day we need to remind ourselves of the conflicts that are taking place and give thanks for those who do march away and serve the cause of peace and justice. We also need to ensure that memorials like Armistice, remembrance Day and all the others are kept as active reminders to the fact there is nothing noble in being dead but there is great nobility in the way that some have given up their lives.

I know there are foolish people who think otherwise and thank God for those who died so that they could have the freedom to express their think regardless of its paucity.

I leave you with the words of Ataturk:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…
You are now living in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours…
You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace, after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."


Dona eis requiem