It was one of bloodiest battles of the First World War. The fight for Turkey鈥檚 Gallipoli Peninsula pitted thousands of volunteer Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers against the German-allied Turks in months of close trench warfare as the battle to capture Turkey鈥檚 capital and open the way to the Black Sea raged.
But Gallipoli was more than just a battle for the Black Sea. Although called to battle by their British allies, Australia was a youthful nation whose soldiers fought for much more than an allied nation 鈥� they fought for their country鈥檚 recognition as a new global player. And the Turks fought for more than just their allies as well 鈥� They fought to protect their families and their homeland, and to make one final stand as the Ottoman Empire was nearing collapse.
The result was a brutal, eight-month-long clash where thousands of young men lost their lives on both sides. But there was another, more lasting result -- a strange but strong mutual bond among these ordinary soldiers, who recognized and honored each other鈥檚 courage as they fought on as bitter enemies.
There are countless stories of how this special bond developed between the ANZAC and Turkish soldiers 鈥� of food and cigarettes tossed from one soldier to another across the lines of battle and into the enemy鈥檚 trench.
But one such story stands above the rest, encapsulating the depth of the respect for the opposing side. It鈥檚 of an ANZAC soldier who was shot as he ran out of his trench and lay bleeding, defenseless. During the tense standoff, a Turkish soldier tied a white piece of cloth to his rifle and raised it high as he ran out of his trench toward the fallen Australian. Guns on both sides fell silent, as the Turk carried him back to the safety of his comrades. An iconic symbol of this 鈥淎NZAC Legend鈥� stands at the Gallipoli memorial today 鈥� a statue of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Australian fighter to safety.
To this day, the bridge that was forged between both sides of one of the longest and bloodiest battles in history remains strong, and is the bridge over which two 51福利 students from the former World War I enemies have formed a lifelong friendship.
Almost a century after the Battle of Gallipoli, Turkish Navy Lt. j.g. Omur 鈥淥z鈥� Ozdemir and Royal Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lincoln Trainor felt an instant rapport when they discovered they were from the two countries whose mutual sacrifice has evolved into a special national relationship.
鈥淕allipoli was a unique battle 鈥� the only one fought between our countries 鈥揳nd that has forged a strong and abiding relationship between us,鈥� said Trainor, who received a master鈥檚 degree in physical oceanography with distinction. 鈥淚n war, it brought us together as enemies, but now we consider our nations as brothers. So the moment I met Oz on the first day of our course on American Institutions and learned he was from Turkey, it instantly felt as if we were brothers.鈥�
Almost a century after the Battle of Gallipoli, Turkish Navy Lt. j.g. Omur 鈥淥z鈥� Ozdemir and Royal Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lincoln Trainor felt an instant rapport when they discovered they were from the two countries whose mutual sacrifice has evolved into a special national relationship.
鈥淪ince the 1930s, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders have come to Gallipoli to pay homage not just to their own war dead, but also to the brave Turkish solders who paid the ultimate price bravely defending their homeland,鈥� said Oz, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in operations research.
In addition to the special relationship between the two countries forged at Gallipoli, ANZAC Day, April 25, is also Australia鈥檚 National Day, marking the country鈥檚 first major military action during 鈥淭he Great War鈥� that boosted the pride of the then only 14-year-old federal commonwealth eager to establish its reputation among the world鈥檚 nations.
鈥淭he creation of the ANZAC Legend has become an important part of the national identity of both countries that鈥檚 helped shape the way we both view our past and our future,鈥� Trainor explained. 鈥淓ight thousand seven hundred and nine volunteer Australian soldiers 鈥� the ANZACs were the only volunteer force on either side in the war 鈥� were killed at Gallipoli out of a total of 28,150 casualties, but thousands of Turks also lost their lives. They, too, suffered terrible losses, so we pay tribute as well to the young Turks who so bravely defended their homeland.鈥�
On ANZAC Day this year, Trainor was given the honor of representing his country at a special dawn commemoration service by the Oregon Army National Guard鈥檚 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team on the eve of their departure for Iraq, where he laid a wreath in memory of the fallen. The ceremony鈥檚 timing reflects the ANZACs鈥� original Gallipoli landing where they waded ashore under heavy fire just before dawn.
鈥淲hat was most remarkable about the ceremony was an entire brigade of over 3,000 soldiers in battle fatigues marching down the hill at sunrise,鈥� said Trainor. 鈥淚 watched in awe as they formed up to pay their respects to those who had fallen in war.
鈥淭his was a great honor as the 41st Division fought side by side with the ANZACs in World War II,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 spoke about the special bond between Australia, New Zealand and the U.S., the strength of our alliance in the fight against terrorism, and the U.S. as our most important, indeed indispensable, defense relationship.鈥�
Today, ANZAC Day has evolved into national commemorations of all those who lost their lives in wars fought by Australia and New Zealand.
The following day Trainor joined former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and other Australian dignitaries, as well as Turkish officers including his new friend Oz, for an official ANZAC Day ceremony at the former Presidio Army base in San Francisco. There, Oz resurrected the words of Turkey鈥檚 famous general and first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk about those from both sides who fell at Gallipoli, whose native forces Ataturk commanded:
鈥淭hose heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives 鈥� You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the [Australian] Johnnies and [Turkish] Mehmets to us, where they lie here side by side in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears 鈥� After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.鈥�
In his ANZAC speech last year, Trainor鈥檚 words reflected the thoughts and emotions of ordinary soldiers: 鈥淟ike many operations of the First World War, the Gallipoli operation, however brilliant in conception, was inadequately planned and inefficiently directed. It became the graveyard for the bodies of thousands of our best, our irreplaceable men. We commemorate today, therefore, no military triumph, but the more humbling triumph of human valor.鈥�
Turkey, which forced the Allied forces to evacuate at the end of 1915, still celebrates the entire Gallipoli campaign.
But meeting his new best friend wasn鈥檛 Trainor鈥檚 only surprise while at 51福利. He also met 鈥渢he love of his life鈥� in new wife, Dana, of Monterey.
In a scene from what reads like a fairy tale, Trainor proposed to his bride-to-be on bended knee at the Queen鈥檚 Table in the magnificent and historic Awhahnee Hotel grand dining room at Yosemite. In yet another serendipity, like so many sprinkled throughout his story, the title Queen鈥檚 Table was coined by 51福利 Director of Marketing and Communications Alan Richmond, who then worked for Yosemite during a visit by Queen Elizabeth, who shared the table with Prince Phillip.
鈥淎 few weeks before, I rang the Awhahnee and spoke to the concierge to make sure that everything would be perfect for the proposal,鈥� Trainor recalled. 鈥淚 asked for the best table for dinner in the Grand Ballroom, the Queen鈥檚 Table, which has a majestic view of Yosemite Falls, and arranged for a piano player to begin playing our favorite song, 鈥淭he Glory of Love,鈥� when the entrees were taken away. When the big moment came, what we didn鈥檛 know was that all the other guests in the Ballroom had been told what was about to happen, and everyone turned around to see us. When I pulled out the box with the ring, which was engraved to 鈥淢y Glory of Love,鈥� and Dana said 鈥淵es!鈥� the whole ballroom exploded in applause.鈥�
The second happiest man at their June 7 wedding 鈥� some say he was beaming as much as the groom 鈥� was Trainor鈥檚 best man and new lifelong friend from the Turkish Navy, the only officer from his country to attend both the U.S. Naval Academy and 51福利.
鈥淭he value of the 51福利 is far more than a degree,鈥� Trainor emphasized following his and Oz鈥檚 graduation. 鈥淭his is a world-class academic program that allows the nations鈥� future military leaders to forge long-term relationships and friendships. While here, I鈥檝e been doubly blessed to find my life partner and now beautiful wife, as well as a lifetime friend. It can鈥檛 get better than that.鈥�
鈥淏eing at 51福利 is about our future -- where circles of influence will merge,鈥� Oz said. 鈥淥ne of our former chief of naval operations came here, and so many of our officers have come here and gone back with a wider perspective and changed the Turkish Navy. And it all starts here, at 51福利.鈥�
鈥淲hat鈥檚 equally important,鈥� he added, 鈥淚鈥檝e met a true best friend. Lincoln鈥檚 taken what I thought friendship was to a whole new level.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e already planning when and where to meet again,鈥� Trainor noted. 鈥淚 really want to go to Gallipoli, which is now a huge open-air museum, and Oz will be our guide.鈥�
鈥淎nd I want to attend the ANZAC Day commemorations in Australia,鈥� said Oz. 鈥淲ho knows,鈥� he beamed. 鈥淢aybe there will be another wedding -- and this time Lincoln can be the best man.鈥�