Eyes of War

Nothing moves me the way ANZAC Day does. The dawn service commemmorating the doomed beach landing at Gallipoli, the prayers and hymns, the riderless horse, the solemn parade of service men and women. The stories of loss, of sacrifice, of honour, of travesty. The horrors of war combine with the poignant resolve of human spirit and always the tears come.

Tears for the lost. Tears for the families. Tears for the human condition that cannot solve disputes without bloodshed.

I brought our firstborn baby home from hospital as the Gulf War erupted. As I sat before the news reports and nursed him, I couldn't help but pray that he had been born for something more than to be cannon fodder. Behind every set of soldier's eyes are the eyes of loved ones - hearts that break and pray and worry. Through those war weary eyes are also stories too profound to tell and too haunting to recall.



The eyes featured here belong to an unknown WW1 Australian soldier. I found his portrait on the Australian War Memorial website. Always a worthwhile site to visit. If you are not familiar with ANZAC Day I encourage you to have a closer look here and learn of the events that many believe gave 'birth' to the Australian nation.

My mother's second husband served in the Korean conflict. He did not like the TV show M*A*S*H at all, and does not speak of his experiences. When he and my mom visited us in Canberra in 1994, I urged him to visit the Australian War Memorial. He was reluctant, but went. To this day he continues to rave about how it moved him. It is not a place that glorifies war. It does not try to instil a form of patriotism. It simply honours the soldiers by telling their stories and helps us to understand their experience. I think it is fitting that the Prime Minister's office is situated so that the view from the office window is that of the War Memorial. The AWM is worth a trip to Canberra all on its own.



The walkways pictured above (which lead to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) are paneled with the names of fallen soldiers and peppered with red poppies of remembrance. An interactive display like none other. May the names reduce in numbers in future years.

Layout product info:
Background paper and tire tracks: Fishbowl Designs 'Eco Earth'
Overlay & photo frames: Creative Memories freebies