Remembering the ANZACs

Surrounded by 9,000 Australians and NewSeeing representatives from Britain, Turkey and
Zealanders spread out across the grass atIndia standing beside those from Australia and
ANZAC Cove in the early hours of April 25, I feltNew Zealand made me realise the Gallipoli
an amazing sense of camaraderie. We were allcampaign is not solely owned by the southern
there for the same reason - to pay our respectshemisphere - it has international significance. I felt
to a generation of men, younger than most ofproud to be representing my nation and I knew
us, who fought in one of the most famouseveryone who had weathered the cold night
battles of modern times. Those whose relativesbefore felt the same as we sang our national
fought on the Gallipoli Peninsula almost 90 yearsanthems at the end of our individual services.
ago proudly displayed their medals on their chestsAfter walking up from ANZAC Cove it was a
but for many, like me, the connection was aspoignant moment when I entered Lone Pine and
basic as the need to commemorate the ANZACs.saw the lines of gravestones marking where so
A steady stream of people arrived at ANZACmany Australian soldiers had died - or where it
Cove from early evening on April 24 until aroundwas thought they died. But what stood out more
2am on ANZAC Day. We were all heavily ruggedwere the thousands of stones missing that would
up against the cold wind blowing in from theotherwise have been claimed by the soldiers who
Aegean Sea, thinking about how this clear, coldhave no known grave. Their names are marked
night was not unlike the night the soldiers set offon the Lone Pine Memorial. In the nine months of
from their battleships carrying 45kg packs andthe Gallipoli campaign more than 36,000 ANZAC
rifles, unsure of their fate. Travelling by ferryservicemen died.
through the Dardanelles and around GallipoliAt the peninsula's Kabatepe Museum a bronze
Peninsula earlier in the day, I had my first site ofplaque displays the words of Turkish poet Bulent
ANZAC Cove and the rugged cliffs the soldiersEcevit. The poem, entitled Gallipoli: A Postwar Epic,
were forced to climb after they landed at theis very powerful:
wrong site. But soldiers of a different kind lined"... It was a ruthless waryet breeding respectin
the cliffs for our visit - armed Turkish securityheart-to-heart exchangeas confronting trenches
personnel were dotted around the hills watchingfell into closer rangeturning foe to friendas the
out for security threats in light of the war in Iraq.fighters reached their endthe war came to a
From around 3am the crowd was entertainedclosethose who survivedreturned to their lands
with ANZAC and Australian folk songs and ourand homesleaving the dead behind...lying side by
sense of companionship grew. As the first rays ofside as friends in each other's armsthey may
light blue appeared behind the cliffs, the Duntroonsleep in comfort and peacein the land for which
Royal Military College band performed until thethey died.
Dawn Service started at 5.30am.