War Stories

I have never served in a war and I don’t particularly rate my chances or suitability of being a soldier. I usually let my sister do the physical fighting because she has always been the ‘strong’ one and I can be found one of two or more steps behind her. I would rather talk my way through conflict, so in terms of the things I know about war – I would not have lived long ;-)

This is what I have learnt from the wars of those that have gone before. These are now my war stories:

WAR STORY ONE – Pearl Harbour

I was born on the other side of the Island from Pearl Habour, yet it took me over 30 years to visit it. By then I had two little boys and it was more like a day trip rather than the most sobering event of my time in Hawaii. The tour starts with a video presentation and then you get on a boat and travel to a floating platform above the resting place of the USS Arizona. The USS Arizona was left there as a memorial to the loss of life that was suffered so many years before.

In that small area of water there were many other ships that were cut down and it was easy to imagine what it may have been like. I shamelessly shed tears on that day as I watched the oil from the sunken boat rising to the surface and saw the wall of names of the people who were killed during that conflict. I will never forget that experience and on Anzac Day it is a memory that is easily recalled.

WAR STORY TWO – My fallen soldier - Tame Bryers

A few years ago, our little family went to the Auckland Museum to take advantage of the renovations that had been undertaken. One of the main rooms is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of war. It is a white hall- like room with high ceilings and is covered from wall to wall in names of the men who were killed in the First World War. I knew that my grandmother’s brother was killed there, so I searched the walls for his name – and there he was. I can’t explain how touched I was to see his name recorded as someone who had lost his life so that I could have a better one. It served as another sobering reminder of consequences of war. I always knew him as Tame Bryers and was pleasantly surprised to find him in the 28th Maori Battalion database as Thomas Peter Waiata Bryers, Serial No: 25824. His Next of kin on enlistment was Mr E.N. Bryers (father), Rural Delivery, Okaihau, New Zealand. Uncle Tame reached the rank of Corporal and died on the 20th of April 1943 in Tunisia.

WAR STORY THREE – Pioneer Maori Battalion

Today I sat in a meeting where the speakers were talking about their experiences of military service and/of living through war times. The average age of the presenters was 70 years of age and I loved listening to their comments. Of significance was the father of one of my high school friends who served in the Special Forces

for New Zealand. He taught me about the little known Maori Pioneer Battalion who preceeded the 28th Maori Battalion. These men were never rated as soldiers yet their contribution was significant.
They were a group of 500 Maori men who went before the others and prepared roads, and dug trenches, all while being attacked themselves. What a wonderful service they provided - and are the unsung heroes of that time for me.

WAR STORY FOUR – The Love of those left behind
I was deeply touched by my friend's father who talked about his own father who having been a soldier abroad, and having returned home albiet unwell from the effects of the war, passed on three months before his son was born. The impact of this is that the son never ever met his father. When the son eventually joined the military he enquired of his commanding officer what the significance was of a set of medals that he had been playing with as a child, After a few days his commanding officer presented him with a dossier of the life of his father, and it was in reading this, that he finally came to know his father from his physical traits to any positions that he held. I gained an understanding of the strength of knowledge, love and the importance of relationships between a father and his son.

WAR STORY FIVE – Maori Battalion
For many this is called the Maori Battalion March to Victory composed by B Company’s Anania (Nan) Amohau and set to the music of an American marching song which became the Battalion’s rallying cry. To me, it represents the thousands of men who died so that I never have to become a soldier, and can live free in the land that I love.
Maori Battalion march to victory
Maori Battalion staunch and true
Maori Battalion march to glory
Take the honour of your people with you
You will march, march, march to the enemy
And will fight right to the end
For God, for King and Country au e
Ake ake Kia kaha e

Have a great week whanau.

Yours in friendship,
 
Mxox