COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.– Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, attended an Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) Day dawn service at the Memorial Park Veterans Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 25, 2026.
ANZAC Day, Australia and New Zealand’s national day of remembrance, observed annually on April 25 at dawn, honors all who have served and died in military operations. The date marks the anniversary of the Anzacs landing at Gallipoli, Turkey, in 1915 during World War I.
Speaking at a podium alongside the flags of the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, military leaders reflected on the Anzac Day themes of selfless service, courage, and mateship that continue today.
Royal New Zealand Air Force Wing Cmdr. Mark Waters, New Zealand liaison officer to U.S. Space Command, recounted the Gallipoli landing and explained the importance to both New Zealand and Australia.
“What made Gallipoli different for Australia and New Zealand, was that it was the first major battle we fought as nations…Soldiers from every province in New Zealand and every state of the newly federated Australia volunteered and fought,” Waters said. “But what seared itself into the conscience of our young nations was the sheer scale of casualties.”
Brig. Christopher Gardiner, space and cyber attaché at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., delivered the keynote, deliberately timed to mirror the military tradition of ‘Stand To,’ just before the sun rises and when an attack, historically, is most likely to come.
“Wherever freedom and democratic values have been threatened, Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders have answered the call together,” he said.
“Remembrance is not a passive act…it is not simply about wearing a red poppy or attending a service once a year,” he added. “True remembrance is an active, daily responsibility…it means living our lives in a way that is worthy of the sacrifices made on our behalf.”
Gardiner called upon those listening to honor the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice by reaffirming our commitment to our enduring alliance, shoulder to shoulder.
Whiting then joined Gardiner and Waters in laying wreaths in front of their respective national colors, in remembrance of the fallen, including the approximately 8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders who lost their lives during the Gallipoli Campaign.