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| ANZAC Day (Wiki Info) |
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON MALL: The earliest tendrils of dawn were just stretching over the Washington Monument when we arrived here at 5:30 this morning.
Why, you are doubtless wondering, were my wife, myself and a friend standing in front of the Korean War Memorial at that hour? My wife is Australian. So's the friend. And I'm pretty well tied up in the whole Antipodean thing.
So, what about Australia brought us to the Mall? Gallipoli and Anzac Cove brought us. More than 10,000 dead Australians and New Zealanders during the abortive effort to take Constantinople during World War I brought us. The unshakeable bonds of combat forged during the battle to take the cliffs and advance against an indomitable Turkish foe, and the sense that Australia and New Zealand paid more than their fair share of the dues of freedom during the war to end all wars brought us. My nephew, who just returned from a year's tour with the Australian Army in Afghanistan, brought us. They are all the subject of Anzac Day, probably the most sacred day of the year for Australians and an important one for many other former British colonies throughout the Pacific.
We joined about 300 others, including the ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand and the Turkish military attache in front of the Korean War Memorial. As we milled about in the early dawn, the automatic sprinklers went off, sending half the crowd scurrying for cover. One can only imagine who forgot to do what the night before...
The crowd was dotted with Australian soldiers who we think were members of Australia's 2nd Light Horse Regiment, famous for being the first Australian force raised during World War I and for their gallant service at Gallipoli and the Palestine. Around us were American and other allied solders who have recently served with Aussies and New Zealanders, Aussies who live around Washington and even a French officer representing his country's forces who fought and died at Gallipoli.
Read the full story at AOL Defense