On April 25, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. Their mission was to capture the Dardanelles, a strait in the northwest of the country, from the Ottomans, who were Germany’s allies. For over eight months, soldiers on both sides suffered greatly: 87,000 Ottoman Turks and 44,000 Allied forces, including 8,500 Australians and 2,779 New Zealanders, were killed. One in six of the New Zealanders sent to fight in Gallipoli died in battle. Today, April 25 is ANZAC Day, a national day of mourning for Australians and New Zealanders to gather and commemorate their fellow countrymen who died to ensure peace for future generations. In New Zealand, one of the ways people honor their war heroes is by gathering for dawn services, the time when ANZAC troops landed in Gallipoli. The ceremonies held throughout the country are based on a traditional military funeral. In …
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