‘No more marches . . . treading on our silence’

Last night I died at Chunuk Bair.

Slipping in death below the surface of that long-since blood soaked ridge I heard the many thousand whispers of men and boys long gone and long lain.

‘‘No more, no more,’’ they whispered from their deaths’ deep core. ‘‘No more marches, no more gatherings, no more bugles, no more feet treading on our silence. Leave us alone.

‘‘The living should look to the living and the yet to be born. Save them from the mistakes that condemned us so pitilessly. Remembering us when others are led the same path does not serve our memory. Best we be forgotten.

‘‘Best we lie here at Chunuk Bair, a corner of a foreign land we know only in death. And when the living are saved from our fate, then we will rest in peace. Look to the living, look to the living.’’

The next morning I got up but they did not. J WALSH Merivale

Brutality of battles

I read with interest of John Burn searching for an honourable reason New Zealand was involved in Korea and Vietnam (Letters, April 18, 22, 24). He implied there was one for the World War I – not, I think, a common view today but perhaps he has good reasons.

Nonetheless, I amaware what a tricky business it is to attempt to understand past political or social values from today’s viewpoint, no doubt why some correspondents seem to apply to service people criticisms that properly apply to governments and military commanders.

The cause may have been suspect but most soldiers believed in the justice of the war they bravely fought in. New Zealand soldiers are still remembered with admiration and affection by former allies.

Does soberly honouring their bravery and sacrifice really constitute glorifying war when aged veterans recall with tears their dead comrades or when the diaries and letters from Gallipoli or France do not hide the brutality of their battles? MM DOHERTY

Papanui

Not a celebration

In commenting on Gallipoli, AM Welch asks ‘‘What is there to celebrate?’’ and ‘‘Do we remember the Turks that died?’’ Anzac Day is certainly not a celebrations. The Gallipoli campaign was a disaster. Thousands of young New Zealanders, Australians, British, French and Turks were slaughtered.

Anzac Day is not the time to discuss which wars were right and which wars were wrong. Our service personnel do not decide in which wars they fight. They go where they are sent. The way we treated our veterans returning from Vietnam was a national disgrace. On Anzac Day many representatives from Turkey join with us to remember those who died, while those attending at Gallipoli are there on the invitation of Turkey. ROBIN PAWSEY

Riccarton