Veteran's son in centennial commemoration ticket battle

Tim O'Brien, son of Gallipoli veteran John O'Brien, is disappointed not enough tickets for the centenary commemorations in Turkey were set aside for all the children of veterans. Photo/Andrew Warner

The Te Puke son of a Gallipoli veteran is joining the fight to get the children of those who fought in the battle to the centennial commemoration in Turkey next year.

Tim O'Brien initially believed he was guaranteed a ticket to the commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April next year but he was wrong.

Veterans' Affairs grossly underestimated the number of veterans' children alive and fit enough to handle camping out for the night, and walking the 8km from Gallipoli Cove to Chunuk Bair, Mr O'Brien said.

More than 190 children of those who fought on the peninsula applied for tickets but only 35 double passes were allocated.

Those not chosen in that ballot were left to compete with almost 10,000 others for one of the 100 double passes reserved for direct descendants, 100 double passes for veterans and 750 double passes for the general public.

Mr O'Brien was one of those who missed out and was 8060th on the waiting list for tickets.

After entering the ballot, he changed his mind about going to the Anzac service and decided he would rather visit Chunuk Bair in August 100 years to the day after his father, John William O'Brien, was wounded there.

However, he is supporting calls for Minister of Veterans' Affairs Michael Woodhouse to review the criteria for the children of Gallipoli veterans.

Mr Woodhouse told the Bay of Plenty Times he sympathised with Mr O'Brien and the other 90 per cent of applicants who missed out on the ballot. He said the decision about how to allocate passes was made after public consultation.

"While 90 per cent of all applicants who entered the ballot missed out, a third of all children of Gallipoli veterans entered in the ballot were successful. I also want to stress that age or fitness has never been a factor in the ballot process," he said. "Government is planning a second ceremony in Gallipoli to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Chunuk Bair in August 2015. This will be another opportunity for anyone who missed out to take part in centenary commemorations."

Despite his decision not to go, Mr O'Brien contacted the Bay of Plenty Times to voice his concern about the process and said others he knew in the same position were "devastated" they would not be able to go to honour the sacrifice made by their parents.

"All those that are fit to go and wanted to go should have been able to. I honestly thought they had a place reserved for me," he said. "I feel for them. If I had have had my heart set on going, I'd have been very disappointed as well."