Southwest Asia --
Military personnel from Australia, the United States and
France gathered to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps Day at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia April 25,
2015.
According to the Australian War Memorial website, the annual
memorial is one of Australia’s most
important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major
military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First
World War.
During the commemorative address Air Commodore Glen, commander
task group 360, spoke about what this day means to Australians.
“ANZAC day is not a commemoration of the victories or defeats
of the Australian armed forces, instead we remember ordinary Australians who
did extraordinary things to give us what we have today,” he said.
The tribute commenced with a Dawn Service, which included a catafalque
party, a presentation similar to what an American Honor Guard would perform,
lying of wreaths, Reveille and the Australian National Anthem.
The ANZAC day history is rooted in a 1915 mission where Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed
part of an expedition to set out and capture the Gallipoli peninsula in order
to open the Dardanelles to the allied navies, according to the Australian
War Memorial website. The ultimate
objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the
Ottoman Empire, an ally of Germany.
More than 8,000
Australian soldiers were killed during the operation, which had a prodigious
effect on their home country. Shortly
after, it was announced that April 25 would be the day Australians honored the
sacrifices of those who were killed.
“It’s a
tradition we share with our families, ANZACs one and all, as they support us
without question wherever we may be,” said Glen.
Numerous armed
forces from different countries attended, rendering
military honors throughout the ceremony, exhibiting a full display of coalition support.
Col. Charles,
vice wing commander, reflected on the significance of the diverse crowd.
“It’s a unique
opportunity for us because we go to war with the Australians a lot, and so the
fact that we can be here to honor their incredibly important day standing
shoulder to shoulder with them is what really matters,” he said. “This is one
of the benefits of being bedded down with them, is that we can learn about
their history and culture.”
(Editor’s note: Due to safety and security reasons,
last names and unit designators were removed.)