Stan Savige - Sniper and Saint

This is a great Rememberance Day  reflection. I decided while visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Seymour earlier this year that it would be good to recount the journey of a young ANZAC  from rural Victoria, who began as a humble Sunday School teacher and morphed into one of the deadliest snipers at Gallipoli.  It's the story of a country lad whose lethal skills with a rifle, and trust in the Bible he carried,  made him one of our most surprising heroes.

According to World War One historian, Charles Bean, Stan Savige's bravery and strategic skill on the battlefield made him one of our finest soldiers.  But what really moved me was the discovery that the greatest legacy Stan left behind was, not the reputation  he earned as a crack shot, but his compassionate service to the victims of war.  The Assyrian Church in Australia still reveres him almost as a saint.  You'll be all the better for getting to know this faith story which has brought help to tens of thousands of widows and orphans.