Mr Craig Goodwin reading the Eulogy of the Ancestors AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY BEIRUT Commemorating Anzac Day at The Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery Ambassador Miles: "By remembering the sacrifices of those who served, “we will help build a better, and more peaceful, world” Shortly before dawn this morning, Minister for Defense Yaacoub Sarraf joined Ambassadors, Defense Attachés, heads of UN agencies, and over 100 other guests, for a candle-lit service to commemorate ANZAC Day at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Qasqas. The ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) tradition dates back to the early hours of 25 April 1915, when 16,000 Australian and New Zealand troops commenced landing under fire on the Turkish beaches of Gallipoli.
Wreaths at the cenotaph
In all, over 8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders – alongside many thousands of British, Allied and Turkish soldiers – lost their lives at Gallipoli. Delivering the commemorative address, Australian Ambassador Glenn Miles focused on the personal toll on those sent to fight, even those lucky enough to survive. “This morning’s ceremony is not about the glory of war. Neither is it about triumphalism. Gallipoli, the wellspring of this day, was no military triumph, even if it endures as a triumph of the spirit.” Ambassador Miles also reflected on the strong long-term relationships between Australians and Lebanese, saying “the presence of Australian troops, and their friendship with the Lebanese that hosted them, was the base on which our relationship has grown and thrived.”
Deputy Head of Mission, Gemma Huggins, reading the biography of a serviceman killed in action Representing the Turkish Ambassador, Mr Sencer Yonden, quoted President Atatürk’s words of comfort to those who had lost loved ones on the shores of Gallipoli: “You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.” Echoing that sentiment, New Zealand representative, Mr Craig Goodwin described how ANZAC soldiers stormed the shores of Gallipoli as enemies, but now their descendants return to the same shores “with a warm embrace - as an old friend, no longer a foe”. Ambassador Miles expressed his hope said that by remembering the sacrifices of those who served, “we will help build a better, and more peaceful, world.”
Ambassador Miles with LAF officers leafing through a book of photographs showing Australian troops in Lebanon |