ANZAC DAY: LEST WE FORGET

Today is ANZAC day in Australia and New Zealand. Today marks the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who landed in Gallipoli in World War I. I do not know the whole history of the event, but I know that both Australia and New Zealand lost a lot of lives in this campaign. If you are interested to learn more please visit the above link of the Australian Government official website. I would like to share some photos of our visit to Gallipoli in 2001.

This is the Australian Memorial. It is situated right on the Aegean Sea. It was a memorable day for us seeing all the names of those who lost their lives there.

There was only a single tree at the site and it was a pine tree. Hence the area is called Lonepine.

I still have a vivid memory of that day. It was a nice sunny afternoon. There were not any other visitors at that time. My family and I spent our time reading the name plaques. We were not looking for any name in paticular as we did not have any relatives that took part in the Gallipoli campaign. 

That was me feeling very somber after reading some of the sad messages left there by the relatives. 

DS was studying World War history at the time he was interested to discovere that the trenches were still visible for everyone to see. 

This is the Turkish Memorial. This is written on the side of this memorial:

 

"THOSE HEROES THAT SHED THEIR BLOOD AND LOST THEIR LIVES... YOU ARE NOW LYING 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 FAR AWAY 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."

Kemal Ataturk, 1934

I was in tears reading the message left by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. I also found that there were many Turkish visitors to the memorial as well. 

My last note would be Lest we forget...!