Corporal Nezahat

Have you ever heard of Nezahat Onbaşı, one of the youngest heroes of the National Struggle? Even as a child, this brave girl ran from front to front with her father and became, through her love of country, a spiritual fortress for a vast army.

Nezahat was born in İskeces in 1908. After losing her mother at a very young age, her father, Colonel Hafız Halit Bey, commander of the 70th Regiment, never left her side. When Istanbul was under occupation, she crossed over to Anatolia with her father and spent her childhood not in playgrounds but at the very heart of war.

During her years at the front, she received training alongside the soldiers and learned to ride horses and handle weapons exceptionally well. Soldiers who saw her were first astonished, then awed by the courage of this little girl. Despite her small stature, she wore a military uniform and stood shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers against every hardship.

During the Gediz Battle, Nezahat saw some soldiers retreating and immediately rode her horse in front of them. "I am going to die beside my father—where are you going?" she shouted, causing the soldiers to abandon their retreat. Her action changed the course of the battle.

For this extraordinary bravery, she was awarded the rank of "Onbaşı". She was no longer merely the daughter of an officer—she had become a true soldier of the army. Her heroism was so remarkable that soldiers began comparing her to the French heroine Joan of Arc, calling her the "Turkish Joan of Arc".

^{Mustafa Kemal Paşa and Private Nezahat (generated by artificial intelligence.)}

One day, Mustafa Kemal Paşa asked Nezahat what she could do. With confident tone, she replied: "I can fire a weapon; I have my horse and my gun. I am the fortress of the soldiers—no soldier will turn back while I stand firm." Paşa was deeply impressed and praised her.

Nezahat did not limit herself to fighting. She mended the soldiers’ torn uniforms and consistently boosted their morale. She served as her father’s closest assistant in major battles including Geyve, Konya, the First and Second İnönü, and the Battle of Sakarya.

After victory, Nezahat continued her education at the French Jeanne d'Arc Institute in Istanbul. In 1931, she married Major Mehmet Rıfat Bey, another hero like herself, and took the surname "Baysel". Nezahat Baysel, mother of two daughters, lived a modest life throughout her years.

Nezahat Onbaşı passed away on 24 September 1993 and was laid to rest at Karacaahmet Cemetery. She is a true "Alp Kadın" who proved to the world that loving one’s country has nothing to do with age but everything to do with a mighty heart.

Approximately 100 years ago, while our country fought for independence, child heroes like Nezahat Onbaşı stood on the front lines for our future.