1961: Upham Interview- Not Dark Yet
November 22, 2019
By AHNZ
Captain Charles Upham (died today in New Zealand history, 22 November, 1994) had some things to say about us in 1961. It’s very instructive to see what a Heroic Generation’s chosen hero had to say about the Baby Boomer Generation as it rose to take its place as the mainstream.
“There was a generation of New Zealanders..who, in America, are called The Greatest Generation. In Strauss Howe parlance they were a Heroic, Civic, generation who won wars and made their nations great.
Theirs was an era in which things got done, shredding Red Tape if it got in their way..These men accepted risk and responsibility beyond the comprehension of our modern…professionals..”- 1958: Open Hearts; AHNZ
In a 1961 radio interview¹ Upham elaborates that, in 1939, when WW2 called upon New Zealanders, we were especially ready compared to the populations of other countries. Upham says we were closer to the Pioneer Spirit that still prevailed here. Most of our young men were able to fire a rifle, cook for themselves, camp out, improvise on the fly, and be versatile in the face of adversity.
His Company (C Company, 20th Battalion) were, in his estimate, the best of that stock. Drawn from the West Coast, Nelson, and Marlborough they were rugged outdoor-types, bushmen. Hard to control but easy to lead, independent but adaptable. Upham’s men came ready with general knowledge of axe work and explosives, experienced in getting wet and managing food limitations.
These low-profile donkeys are just the thing.
Takes much longer for a descending German paratrooper to get within striking distance of our soldiers!
(I’ve had office chairs that go higher than this!)
Come the Boomers
Individuality and initiative is hampered by a welfare state, as Upham points out. The ‘cradle to grave’ socialism introduced during and since the War has changed the face of New Zealand culture to make us softer, more hedonistic, less self-responsible and self-reliant.
New Zealand’s urban population of townies had been taking over since the youthful days that made Upham and his Heroic Generation. Now townies lived ‘artificial lives all their lives’ safe and comfortable inside the human zoo of modern society. Looking around him at the new crop of New Zealanders, Upham saw shadows were falling on the old Kiwi spirit he had known…
“Shadows are falling and I been here all day
It’s too hot to sleep and time is running away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I’ve still got the scars that the sun didn’t let me heal”“I was born here and I’ll die here, against my will
I know it looks like I’m movin’ but I’m standin’ still”“Sometimes my burden is more than I can bearIt’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there”– Dylan
“In 1939 the pioneer spirit still prevailed, with most young men still being able to camp out, fire a rifle, and improvise…West Coast bushmen, and while a bit harder to control, they were more adaptable, good at looking after themselves, and knowledgeable about explosives – again closer to the pioneer type. However, he feels this spirit will die out within a generation. ” – RNZ Collection (1961,) NZ Sound and Vision“The Boomers. They burned the world down, spent up what their fathers had given them and then went on to spend against the wealth of the unborn children and grandchildren. They refuse to die and refuse to pass on the torch to the next generation/s.”- 2010s: Baby Boomer Self-Entitlement; AHNZ
Upham called it right. (This even applied to his own Boomer kids, judging from how they treated his medals.) Now it’s up to those who come after to put things back to rights.
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Note: There is currently a film in development, Charlie, about the life of Upham. We’ll see if it does him justice in a couple years if it makes it out of the development stage. I think in the Honour Culture 2020s the legend of Upham will be revived and a good film about him will do well.
Ref. Charles Upham Interview (1961); New Zealand Archive of Film, Television and Sound
Ref. 1944: Mark of the Lion; AHNZ
Image ref. Cap. Upham; Living Heratage
Image ref. Donkey Transport; Department of Internal Affairs, DA Series
Image ref. Captains Upham and Kirk in 1982; Lyn Moe to West Coast South Island history (2015); Facebook
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