anzac = australia & new zealand army corps

anzac day is a national holiday that marks the corps attack at gallipoli, turkey on april 25, 1915.  in an effort to rally against turkey’s support of germany in world ward i the corps withdrew 8 months later after 8500 are killed (reference: the little book of australia by david dale, 2010).

john monash, commander of australian forces on the western front in world war i reinforces the importance why aussies should celebrate anzac day during a speech he made on april 25, 1927:

anzac day makes a special appeal to the hearts of all of us because of the special place it holds in our history, for it was on this day 12 years ago that the flower of australian’s youth flung itself against the beetling cliffs of gallipoli and performed a memorable feat of arms which instantly welded the people of australia into a nation, and proved to the entire world that our men and women were not unworthy of their sires.  it is not too much that the people should pause for one day in the year to do homage to those men and to keep alive the spirit which animated that host of departed friends.

lest we forget.