Timor death cuts deep with mentor

By CATHY ARONSON

When Te Kauwhata RSA president Rohan Wahrlich first met Private Leonard Manning as a young boy fascinated with the Army, he never thought he would be adding his name to the Roll of Honour.

When Private Manning's name is written in gold next month it will be the first to join the Waikato township's roll since the Second World War.

Private Manning became the first New Zealand soldier to be killed by enemy fire since the Vietnam War when he died, aged 24, in East Timor a fortnight ago.

Mr Wahrlich said Private Manning would be honoured by right but it would also represent how the small Te Kauwhata community, where he went to school, had been affected by his death.

Mr Wahrlich shared a special bond with Private Manning and acted as his mentor for a dozen years.

The pair met when 12-year-old Leonard stayed behind to ask "a million and one questions" after an Anzac Day assembly at Te Kauwhata College.

"He was amazing. His eyes were full of intrigue and he wanted to know everything.

"He asked questions pertinent to a young fellow so I asked if he wanted to lend some books."

From then on Leonard Manning would regularly visit Mr Wahrlich's house to borrow books, look through memorabilia and ask questions about life in the Army.

Mr Wahrlich served for 20 years, including in the reconnaissance platoon in Borneo and the first company to go to Vietnam.

He said it was a foregone conclusion that Leonard Manning would join the Army.

"It was rare to met a young person with such an all-consuming passion for everything military. It was also an outlet for me to share my experience. I was very flattered that he cared for my opinion."

But the bond went beyond their obsession with the Army.

After Mr Wahrlich had his legs amputated from the knee down because of aneurysms in 1996, Private Manning was at his hospital bedside.

The last time they spoke was about two months ago, before Private Manning went to East Timor.

He wanted to join the elite reconnaissance unit as he was a keen bushman and deer-hunter.

Mr Wahrlich lent him a book about tracking and passed on tricks of the trade.

He said Private Manning was more excited than nervous about his first overseas tour of duty, an opportunity he had waited for most of his life.

Private Manning did not want to join the RSA until he got back from East Timor as a real returned serviceman.

"He's home but unfortunately there will be no more visits ... I'll miss him. It's very sad."

At 11 pm on July 24, Mr Wahrlich received a phone call from Private Manning's father, Charlie, telling him that his son had died that day.

A week ago, Mr Wahrlich returned to the college hall where he first met Private Manning, sharing his memories with about 800 people at a funeral service.