FOREWORD FOR ANZAC DAY SUPPLEMENT IN THE ADELAIDE SUNDAY MAIL

22 April 2007

ANZAC Day has special meaning for all Australians.

The word ANZAC embodies our spirit and our national identity. It means something to each and every Australian.

Embedded in our national psyche are mental images of those bloody battles at Gallipoli over 90 years ago. We also think about the ceremonies that mark ANZAC Day across our nation. The Dawn Service; the laying of wreaths; the reciting of The Ode; the Last Post; the period of silence and remembering.

We have seen a resurgence of interest in ANZAC Day – with increasing numbers of young people attending the Dawn Service and making the pilgrimage to the Gallipoli Peninsular for the ANZAC Day ceremonies.

I saw this first hand when I visited Gallipoli last ANZAC Day. It was the first time I had been there. It is difficult to put into words the emotions that I felt: seeing the land where those famous battles were fought and thinking how terrifying that conflict must have been for both sides. The tranquil and peaceful nature of the grave sites and memorials – eerily quiet despite the thousands of people on the Peninsular for the memorial services.

But there is joy there as well. Groups of Turkish and Australian youngsters walking arm in arm, holding with pride and genuine friendship each other’s flags.
Old soldiers, some in uniform, others with medals from later wars take time to catch each others eye and shake hands: nothing is said, there simply is no need.

The peoples of Australia and Turkey enjoy a very special friendship. – it is a remarkable aspect of our respective histories that former combatants have grown to have such close bonds.

For Australians, Gallipoli is a place where, despite defeat, the soldiers of our young nation gave Australia the core of our national identity based on their example of courage, comradeship, compassion and personal endurance.

Gallipoli was also crucially important to the development of the modern Turkish Republic. The Battle of Çanakkale was a great victory for Turkey and a moment in history when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, emerged as a brilliant military commander and future leader.

One of my strongest memories of Gallipoli was reading the inscription on the Atatürk memorial. It reads, in part:

“You, the mothers who sent your 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.”

What a powerfully wonderful sentiment this is - embracing fallen enemies as ‘sons’.

This tremendously positive outcome provides a glowing example on how to move forward from the conflicts of the past to create a more peaceful world for our children.

While we think about the sacrifices of the past we should also remember with pride the 2900 Australian Defence Force men and women deployed on operations offshore to protect Australia and its national interests. Another 300 personnel are also deployed on security tasks in our maritime protection zone. Let’s thank all our service personnel, particularly those overseas, for the important role they play in protecting our way of life.

On this ANZAC Day, Lest we never forget.

Michael Jeffery