April 25th is ANZAC Day. The day that New Zealand remembers soldiers who have died in past wars.

A few years ago it looked like the significance of ANZAC Day was waining as the number of veterans of WW1, WW2, the Korean War and the war in Vietnam slowly declined. But as the younger generations have grown up so has the respect for the sacrifices made by the men and women who fought in these wars.

Dawn parades take place all over the country and each year the numbers grow as the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters and even great grandsons and daughters of veterans march and remember  the places and times that kiwis fought and died.

In 2011 our trip south through Italy to Positano involved, as it usually does, a stop at Cassino, the site of the battle for Monte Cassino. Located about an hours drive north of Naples we visit the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery located in the town which has one quiet corner where kiwi soldiers lie.

If you haven’t already read the blog post, please do.