We will remember them

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August 23rd 2014

Published: August 23rd 2014

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CathnMike2014

Anzac commemorative

Throughout this trip we have been surrounded by and immersed in history, we have seen and been inside of some very very very old buildings, we have sneakily touched monuments, architecture and art, but when we visited Australia's piece of history in Turkey I felt so proud and sad and a little homesick. Gallipoli is the reason I wanted to visit this country.

Gallipoli is Australia's history many thousands of kilometres from home, a place that on the day we were there looked so beautiful and peaceful, yet holds the memories and stories of many thousands of Australian and New Zealand men and the hearts of their families. I felt sad but enormously proud to be an Aussie.

As I walked along the beach at Anzac cove, the story of the Anzacs ran through my mind. It was hard to imagine what it would have been like for our men almost 100 years ago, on this day the weather was hot and sunny, the sky was a beautiful blue and the Aegean Sea was flat. I stood and looked out at the water and then turned to look up at the steep hills and again tried to imagine what

Walking along that same beach

they went through, I thought about the men who gave their lives for our country so that we can be free today.

As the mother of a precious son I was particularly moved by the message from the first Turkish president, Ataturk, to the mothers who lost their sons to war in Turkey...

'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 Mehmet's to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours

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 in this land they have become our sons as well'

I can't imagine how awful it would have been for the mothers and the wives.

We visited the Lone Pine Australian War Memorial and cemetery, where Michael left another piece of Australia behind, he buried an Australian coin near a gravestone (sshh) and I wrote a

Ataturk's message

message in the guest book in the chapel, we also went to the Chunuk Bair New Zealand War Memorial and cemetery. We stopped at the Nek, the site of fighting as part of the Gallipoli campaign , Johnston's Jolly is a commonwealth war cemetery and we saw trenches that are still clearly visible, they are about one metre deep and provided cover for the troops.

It was a sombre day and I will always be grateful that I've been fortunate enough to visit Gallipoli and pay my respects and remember our Anzacs.

Lest We Forget.

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