The 25th of April is the day we in Australia pause to remember those who have served. This includes those in times past as well as in the present. The 25th of April is the anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) forces landing at Gallipoli in 1915 as part of a campaign to shorten the first World War.
The sad reality was that nine months later no strategic value had been achieved and the forces were withdrawn and transferred to the Western Front to battle the Germans over the remaining years of World War I. Those nine months at Gallipoli resulted in around 9,000 of these forces being killed and around 18,000 being wounded. It was a high price to pay for a continued stalemate far away from home against a determined enemy defending their homeland.
The positives of this action are probably only best viewed with the benefit of hindsight. The largely represent the beginning of the appreciation that Australia was now a unique nation on the world stage and was united as it had never been. It also created a legacy of remembrance and recognition of service to the nation that endures today. Such appreciation has waxed and waned over the years but now appears to be as strong as it has ever been.
It is strange how ANZAC day bring people together now like few other modern causes or challenges. It is easy to judge sacrifice through the lens of history whilst enjoying all the benefits. We hope that we will never see the need for such service again but we also hope that if it is required that the sacrifices of the those before inspire those that need to. We know that for a select few who serve us today, it does.
One of the unique things about the ANZACS through their time in World War I is that they remained an entirely volunteer force, unlike many other nations who enacted conscription to fill their ranks. This, I believe, is what truly makes the ANZAC spirit unique. They were perhaps nieve but when most chose to remain and serve their ‘mates’ above all else. This is the true legacy I suggest they leave us all these later. This is the reason those who serve today do. They do so for other and the greater good. This is what we need to celebrate and honour.
Such an ideal is not something that you can put a price on or measure with a ruler but it is the reason why the majority of us are able to enjoy the lifestyle and freedoms that we. Our only duty, is therefore, to at least stop, remember and say thank you for what these people did and what other continue to do for us today. These commitments are the reasons why we enjoy our freedoms today.
Lest We Forget
For those interested in learning of the continued sacrifices that the ANZACs made after withdrawing from Gallipoli in World War 1, when they went to fight in northern France until the end of the war, should visit my web site:
and a good video about the history of Gallipoli can be found here:
CIAOPS 