By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill said South Portland greatly reminds him of Oldham, a town in greater Manchester, England, which he represented in parliament in the early 1900s.

“It’s a maritime community, a rural community and a residential community all at once,” he said. “Most places have one or two characteristics, South Portland has many.”

Having collaborated with former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt to defeat the Nazis during World War II, Churchill now spends his time attending parades, ceremonies and memorials to honor American veterans. While he was born and raised overseas, Churchill said he has deep family ties to America.

“When I first met Mr. Roosevelt he was unaware I was half American; my mother was part Iroquois Indian,” he said. “When [Roosevelt] told me his family was amongst the first settlers I said ‘Yes, I know, my relatives were here to greet them.’”

While relations between Churchill and Roosevelt warmed only after the former president agreed to participate in a Lend-Lease program Churchill said was “essential to defeating that evil ogre Hitler,” Churchill took an immediate liking to Roosevelt’s wife, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. 

“She was one of the dearest angels I ever met,” he said. “Surely she left golden footprints.”

Churchill said those comparing Roosevelt’s political prowess to president-elect Barack Obama’s goals should remember to look back at the history books before jumping too far ahead.

“Comparisons are best made when the race is over. Mr. Obama has the best of intentions, whether events will let those happen is yet to be seen,” he said. “I’m sure Mr. Bush, when he first entered office, had hopes and dreams, all of which were taken away in a single, terrible day. Governments do not run events, events run governments.”

When asked about the war in Iraq, Churchill called on his own experience not as the British Prime Minister during World War II, but a military officer in Sudan, 1898. While there, Churchill fought in the Battle of Omduman, during which he took part in the last cavalry charge the British military would ever perform.

“It was, to say the least, an exhilarating experience,” he said. “It’s always exhilarating to be shot at without effect.”

The Mushkin warriors Churchill faced more than 100 years ago may not be so different from the current enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. 

“They were a fanatical band, it was almost like you had to kill them twice,” Churchill said. “If we face the same type of enemy now, we must not hesitate to kill them twice.”

Bravery should be important not only to soldiers in far away countries, but business leaders on the home front as well, he said.

“If those who brought about the current economic situation showed one-tenth the fortitude of [war veterans], the economy would not need fixing, it would have never happened,” he said.

A former journalist, Churchill has also listened to the concerns of South Portland residents, some of which puzzle him greatly. When it comes to whether or not to allow dogs to frequent Willard beach – an issue the city council has debated for years – Churchill said “it’s not a matter of canines, but a matter of their masters.”

“Anyone who thinks they are benefiting the beach by leaving dog droppings is obviously too stupid to be swayed in their actions,” he said. “Besides, I prefer pigs: A dog will look up to you, a cat will look down on you, but a pig will look you in the eye.”

The debate over the future of the former National Guard Armory building – a structure Churchill said was “built with great purpose” – was also “a bit of a puzzlement” to the former statesman.

“In England we have buildings that are hundreds of years old. Here, there seems to be trouble with one that is only 48,” he said. “I suspect it would be harder to bulldoze than some would suspect, and not using a building of its caliber is a bit of a travesty.”

Whether addressing the nation in a time of war or squabbling over heated local issues, Churchill said the key to success is to be resilient.

“Never give into despair, there is no failure in action,” he said. “In times of dire straights, one solution is as good as another. Wringing hands accomplishes little.”

John Kierstead is a former war re-enactor who has lived in South Portland his entire life.

“There’s a lot more to it than people think there is, you’re not just running around a field playing soldier; it’s a teaching tool,” he said. 

Now, due to health reasons, Kierstead lectures and performs as Winston Churchill at various veteran memorials and classrooms across the state. Kierstead said he remembers watching Churchill’s funeral on television with his father, a service that has become increasingly emotional for him to watch. Since that day, the more he learned about the former prime minister, the more Kierstead looked up to Churchill, he said.

“I’ve called on his books many times,” Kierstead said. “He’s been my hero my whole life.”