I spent the my usual ANZAC Day crying as I watched the service at Gallipoli. It has become very meaningful for me since I visited Anzac Cove in 2007. As I watched the service today I was so glad we were able to visit the peninsula without hordes of other visitors. It was a time for walking amonsgst the gravestones, quiet meditation and horror as I saw the ages of the Australian, New Zealand and Turkish men who died in that battle. In that quiet, beautiful place, one needed solitude to imagine the ships coming in, the men battling and maybe dying before getting to the shore, and the bullets raining down on them (in the museum we saw bullets fused together as they had hit one another, so many were flying through the air).
As the mother of a son, I looked for, and found plenty of young Anzacs and Turks of around the same age and the emotion was overwhelming. Was it ever thus, young men dying in old men's wars.
It was really striking just how small the whole cove is. I wonder why it seems quite large in the televised service. Perhaps it's the type camera lens used. It has also struck me that the pilgrimages being made every year for ANZAC Day, is actually destroying the peninsula, as the Turks widen roads etc to accomodate the tourists. Perhaps the dawn service there should be limited to officials, forces and family members. The rest of us can visit another time.
There has been talk about whether or not ANZAC Day should become our national day. I hate the idea. I don't think ANZAC Day is a day to celebrate: it is about commemoration, honouring the dead, acknowledging mateship and great bravery, and reflection upon the chaos, destruction and futility of war. Australia Day is about celebration and rejoicing in our way of life. The two may have links but I don't think they're the same thing. Still, I think mine is a minority view.
What do you think?
6 comments:
I wandered into your blog this morning, following from one blog to another just looking. But I must say I've spent a great amount of time just reading and viewing your blog. It always amazes me how people can live so far from one another (I'm in Utah USA) and still have the same thoughts and views. It's been a fun journey exploring your pictures and I guess I just wanted to say hello. Have a wonderful trip in May, I so envy you, even though we are now retired the economy has changed drastically the trips we thought we would be taking. I'll come back in the summer and see if you have pics posted.
I'm with you, I don't think ANZAC could possibly be a day of celebration. I know that last year I was aghast at the image of young Aussies crowding round the news camera shouting "Happy ANZAC day".
I think they are trying to be very patriotic, Ev. Perhaps, when you're young the full significance of the day is lost. Yes, we can be very proud of most of the people who went to war. No, it's not a happy day!
i so agree with you - Anzac day is a day of remembrance, blurring the lines of it being a National Day is inappropriate. Good point Marg.
xo
I agree with you - I don't think you are in the minority.
The 2 days are entirely different. I also shed tears on this commemoration and think of my uncle a bomber pilot shot down and killed at the age of only 21. Imagine being in charge of a bomber crew at that age. They were only kids!
I know you posted this a while ago but I was just scrolling down and those words of Ataturk always make me cry. I completely agree with you about our national day. Anzac day is not the right one. How lovely that you got to be there quietly ammongst your thoughts. My daughter missed out on visiting the peninsula because of terrorist activity in Turkey in 2005. What a pity.
You have a wonderful vision for Beauty Marg.
Martina
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