The Anzac Spirit
Our Courageous Soldiers
For a long time
I have believed that as Australian
males we were not only in danger of
losing our manhood, but that traditional
Anzac Spirit. It's sad to say but
most Australians are completely unaware
of how courageous and effective our
soldiers were.
It was our Light Horsemen who were
largely responsible for the liberation
of Jerusalem from centuries of Muslim
rule.
The first defeat of the mighty 'Desert
Fox' - Erwin Rommel in WW11 was by
'The Rats of Tobruk' - comprised mainly
of Aussie Diggers. But one of the
most heroic achievements of our young
Aussie Diggers was their magnificent
efforts on the Kokoda Track in WW11.
Patrick Lindsay wrote in 'The Spirit
of Kokoda':
To
get some idea of the incredible
odds these young men stood against,
just a mere 77 Aussies (who had
not slept in 3 days) withstood an
onslaught of 1500 crack Japanese
troops. In fact at one stage of
the campaign only 110 young Aussies
were all that stood between their
loved ones in Australia and 6,000
merciless troops from the land of
the Rising Sun.
One young Aussie Digger wrote:
"I prayed a lot. I believe in prayer.
I knew my parents and grandparents
were praying for me so that helped
a lot. And, of course, I had my
mates. When you have good friends,
good mates you don't leave them.
It was a brotherhood." "We got a
message from Port Moresby that ….we
had to stay there and fight to the
death. That was horrifying. I thought,
'Well, I won't see my family again,
I won't see Australia again.' But
I was prepared, like the rest of
us, to stay there and fight to the
finish."
The New Anzac Generation?
Such
was the magnificent spirit of our
forefathers - remembering here that
we are not talking about 'old men',
most of these would be referred to
as 'teenagers' by today's standards.
I saw Prime Minister John Howard interviewed
on the beaches of Gallipoli several
years ago, he was amazed at the number
of young Aussies turning up. "I don't
understand it!" he said. "The more
time passes the Anzac Spirit seems
more important to the younger generation!"
I can tell him why.
These
young men admire their Anzac forefathers
and are desperately looking for positive
role models - heroes - men to believe
in.
In 2005 over 20,000 made the pilgrimage
to Gallipoli. What better example
for young Aussies.
There
is a reason why there is a huge resurgence
of interest in the 'Anzac Spirit'
and the magnificent Light Horsemen,
it touches the heart of every red-blooded
Aussie.
Imagine
the possibilities if the Church could
harness the Anzac Spirit?
Imagine if we could touch this selfish,
self centred, 'me first' generation
with the spirit of the Anzacs - we
could take the nation for the Lord!
Three
things stood the young Anzacs in good
stead, their great sense of humour
under almost any circumstances, their
unselfish willingness to lay down
their lives for their mates and their
great sense of "mateship".
Let
me quote Ion Idriess again as he relates
about those magnificent Light Horsemen
in "The Desert Column':
"No
doubt we are a queer lot, a scatter-brained,
laughing lot. Last night, the whole
crowd was trying to sing comic songs.
They made the oasis hideous with
choruses of the most idiotic songs
I've ever heard ......But
the dearest memory, the one that
will linger until I die, is the
comradeship of my mates, these men who laugh so harshly
at their own hardships and sufferings,
but whose smile is so tenderly sympathetic
to other's pain."
This
'mateship' is a distinguishing feature
of the Aussie Digger, always has been!
During
WW11 Australian prisoners of war survived
the horrendous Japanese prisons at
almost twice the rate of the Americans
and Brits. How come?
No
one is suggesting for a minute that
these young Anzacs were physically
superior in any way. So obviously
there must be some other explanation.
I saw a documentary on TV recently
dealing with this very subject, and
the answer came from an Aussie doctor
who had been there himself. He said
whenever he visited the 'hospital'
in the Japanese prison camps he would
find a dying American or Brit often
accompanied by a mate or two, but
more often than not he would be dying
alone. But not so with the Aussies
- rarely would he find such a scenario.
The
doctor said that it was an honour
to watch an Aussie Digger die, because
he was always surrounded by a bunch
of his mates!
The
doctor added that these mates would
be bathing their friend, spending
hours keeping him as cool and comfortable
as possible during their bouts of
malaria or dengue fever.
If the sick needed help or water there
was always a mate there to lend a
hand - day or night.
Another thing was the verbal support
they gave each other, urging their
sick mates on, that they were going
to make it. I can imagine some of
the blokes: "Come on Bluey mate! You
have to make it back to Aussie, you
still owe me 10 quid and I ain't gonna
let ya cop out on us!"
I
believe it was this support that would
have pulled their mates through those
tough times.
One
old Digger interviewed broke into
tears and said. "It was my mates that
pulled me through. If it wasn't for
those blokes I wouldn't be here today!"
Many
of the men formed bonds that lasted
a lifetime. It was this mateship that
resulted in a survival rate of almost
twice that of other Allies. This quote
from 'The Spirit of Kokoda' sums up
mateship:
"I
emphatically believe in looking
after number one. But number one
is not yourself - it's your best
mate .....The feeling mateship gives
you - when you are at the bottom
of the barrel and along comes those
mates of yours. Often they don't
say anything, they just sit with
you. It's like a husband and wife
holding hands on one another's death
beds - in time of crisis words aren't
necessary."
Chaplain William 'Fighting Mac' McKenzie
One of Australia's greatest 'manly'
and Godly role models, was and ex-stockman
from Bundaberg by the name of Chaplain
William 'Fighting' McKenzie.
 Landing
with the Anzacs at Gallipoli in 1915,
the irrepressible chaplain inspired
his comrades with his faith, heroism
and humour.
'Fighting Mac', although well into
his 40s, spent most of his time in
the trenches with the men who learned
to respect and revere him.
The Battle of Lone Pine was the bloodiest
battle these young Aussies fought
and Mac took part in the horrific
encounter.
The young troopers charged straight
into the face of machine guns leaving
the Turkish trenches knee-deep with
the dead and dying.
Australians won seven Victoria Cross
medals that fateful day, but left
800 wooden crosses marking the graves
of those gallant young men. The young
Aussies begged their beloved chaplain
not to risk his life by joining in
the heroic but suicidal charge.
'Fighting Mac' McKenzie simply replied:
"Boys, I've preached to you, and
I've prayed with you. Do you think
I'm afraid now to die with you?"
With
that the giant ex-stockman picked
up a shovel and joined 'his boys'
as they went 'over the top', many
of them to pay the supreme sacrifice
with their lives.
Some
3,000 troopers found Christ through
this unselfish man, and he was awarded
the Military Cross for his efforts.
"The
Diggers loved him almost to a man
and, described him as 'big -hearted',
'incorruptible', 'considerate of
the feelings of the individual',
'one of the bravest of the brave',
'a friend of sinners'…"
Most
Famous Soldier In the A.I.F.
Fighting
Mac was a living legend to the Anzacs,
even revered by American Generals.
He spent four years in front line
combat, being wounded, buried alive
and even arrested so as he could not
go 'over the top with my boys'.
McKenzie
was twice recommended for the nation's
highest honour - the Victoria Cross.
He was summoned to Buckingham Palace
by King George, who decorated him
with the Military Cross. As he shook
the chaplains hand he said. "I have
heard all about you chaplain. What
you have done for these men far exceeds
any general!"
One
night a huge Light Horseman burst
in on a Salvation Army church service
and bellowed out. "Salvation Army,
once I was your worst enemy, but now
for 'Fighting Mac's' sake - I'm your
best friend!"
The
huge ex-trooper then proceeded to
tell them what an impact McKenzie
had, not only on his life, but many
of the other men. "On or off the battlefield,
he was our greatest earthly friend!"
he said, with tears pouring down his
face. "He reminded me of the man who
was called 'the friend of sinners'.
I would have cheerfully died for him
then' and I would gladly die for him
now.!"
On
his return to Australia in 1918 tumultuous
crowds greeted the fighting padre
at every state capital and smaller
cities. He was the most famous man
in the AIF and many people travelled
hundreds of miles to grasp his hand
and thank him for some kindness he
had shown a loved one. In
Melbourne hundreds were turned away
from the Exhibition Building which
was filled with over 7,000 people.
After
the war Fighting Mac was the one man
every Digger wanted to greet. He inspired
many books and articles because of
his dedication and compassion. 'Mac's'
heroic service to his fellow soldiers
had resulted in almost unbelievable
exploits.
Mac
shunned the spotlight and turned down
dozens of offers before leaving for
mission work in China.
He
died in 1947 and at his funeral teary-eyed
diggers marched six abreast along
the Sydney streets. Chaplain McKenzie's
wife rose and addressed the mourners.
She told the hushed crowd how forty-eight
years earlier she and William had
taken their wedding vows - till death
us do part.
"We
have remained true to those vows
made long ago' she added. Then she
gave thanks to God for having been
permitted to enjoy the companionship
of such a noble soul. She
described his character in words
from the Scriptures; 'The law of
Truth was in his mouth and iniquity
was not found in him. He walked
with the Lord in peace and did turn
many away from iniquity."
The Son's Tribute
In
a touching tribute to his famous father
Donald McKenzie spoke affectionately
of him in the following glowing terms;
"My
father was my hero, a knight in
shining armour, a man who had taught
his children the highest ideals,
particularly chivalry.' He went on to add, 'He walked and
talked with Jesus, and Jesus was
his master, he combined humility,
purity, goodness, and the gentleness
of a saint, with the strength of
a giant. It is a very great honour
to be his son and, a great responsibility,'
he added. 'He set a standard which
is extremely hard to maintain...."
I've
been asked many times, what our Anzac
forefathers were like, so let me quote
from the book: 'The best fellows anyone
could meet' - The story of the 8th
Light Horse Regiment by A. Box:
"They
were the Lighthorse, the men of
old Australia. The Lighthorse, whose
lives and campaigns in far-off places
continued to capture the imagination
of modern Australians whenever they
are re-told. These
men mirrored a society whose values
and behaviours have long since gone
- a vanished society - yet as a
society whose manners, morals and
principles underpin the foundations
of today's Australia.
The
part the Light horseman plays in
the construction of our modern ever
changing Australian culture is an
enduring one - one which is well
recorded, yet one which needs to
be rediscovered by subsequent generations.
The unique conditions that moulded
him, the morality that constructed
him are long gone. Today the Light
horseman is part of a collective
history, a part of what it means
to be an Australian."
Winston
Churchill made the statement, that
whatever way the family goes, so goes
the nation. It must be painfully obvious
to all that the family is in trouble.
To destroy a nation, the devil knows
he must first destroy the family.
I am concerned that we may be raising
a generation of moral cowards, males
who either cannot or will not stand
up for their beliefs and values. Sadly
it is often the women who are the
strength and backbone of the Church
and the family.
In Ezekiel 22:30 God says: "So I sought
for a man among them who would make
a wall, and stand in the gap before
Me on behalf of the land…but I found
none". What a sad indictment. God
looked across the nation for a man
to stand in the gap. Not a teenager
or a big 'boy'- but a man.
Am
I just being negative? I hope not,
that wasn't my intention. But one
must address a problem before it can
be dealt with. I praise the Lord for
all the awesome fathers, husbands,
pastors and leaders - but we need
more, many more! We
desperately need men in the world
and in the Church - real men who will
fight for their values, their faith
and their families! We
need men that will stand up for the
traditional values, such as marriage,
family, role models etc.
We
need some 'spiritual Anzacs', some
men like Willam 'Fighting' McKenzie!
The
Anzacs Understood Something Of Honour
Proverbs
22:28 talks about building on Godly
foundations:
"Do not remove the ancient landmark
which your fathers have set."
This,
and other references, show how we
need to build on Godly, time proven
foundations. The fact is that one
cannot build anything successfully
without the right foundations, be
it a building, business, life, marriage
or a home. Good foundations are essential.
The same is true for a man's life.
But what are the foundations of a
Godly man today? Obviously the greatest
example of a Godly man, is Jesus Himself.
Some of the attributes that He exhibited
were: Courage when He suffered
the cross. Love. Faithfulness.
Joy. Longsuffering. Gentleness. Meekness.
Obedience. Discipline. Self sacrifice.
Compassion and Honour! Yet sadly
today many think that these Godly
attributes are outdated.
I
hear someone echoing the old hackneyed
phrase so prevalent today; "That's
old hat, that's history, that's the
past, that's your generation. We have
moved on. We can't live in the past".
Maybe we can't but we can certainly
learn from it!
Anyone
that doesn't learn from the past is
a fool! Besides this it's not just
history - it's the Word of God! I
thought the Word was the "same today,
yesterday and forever?" I thought
we were to be 'doers of God's Word'?
This Word, these principles have worked
for generations of our forefathers.
How come this current generation knows
more than our biblical forefathers?
We
need to raise ours sons to be men
of honour. Certainly we need to inform
them all about their privileges but
also raise them to face up to their
responsibilities. We should bring
them up to love adventure and to teach
them that life involves risk and fighting
for things that are worthwhile. Life
can be tough but let's teach them
that they have what it takes to make
it and how it's possible for them
to make a difference.
We
need to teach them to celebrate their
manhood! The church could step in
and fill a huge void in young men's
lives today. It is the church who
could provide a modern ceremony for
troubled youth. But we must have real
men to lead, fathers in the faith,
not just some more selfish 'big boys'
who have never grown up themselves.
In fact I believe that if the church
does not step forward to fill this
vacuum then the pornographers, the
drug dealers, the occult and the cults
will! Any time there is a void it
will be filled! What an opportunity
for us as Christian men!
I
strongly believe that our Anzac forefather's
have much teach this current generation
- this 'but what about me' generation.
Men like the famous Light Horsemen,
William 'Fighting' McKenzie, the Rats
of Tobruk and those magnificent young
men that stopped the hitherto undefeated
Japanese army on the Kokoda Track.
Let
me leave you with the words of Jesus:
"Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one's life for his
friends." (John 15:13). In the Aussie
vernacular we would say
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