Lessons in Manliness: Theodore Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War 
 
Theodore Roosevelt, who arguably accomplished more than any other American man, called his experience in the Spanish-American War, “the great day of my life.” It was during his charge up Kettle Hill that Theodore Roosevelt’s leadership and confidence finally crystallized. He passed the test and emerged as a leader capable of ascending to the presidency. His actions during the war impart crucial lessons on manly leadership:
1. Walk the Walk. Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly child who grew up reading of ancient battles and warriors and longing to be one. He built up his body and as he got older started writing his own books about military feats. Yet he still longed to see action firsthand, and when the opportunity finally arrived, he wasted no time in seizing it. As soon as the Spanish-American War broke out, Teddy pestered the Secretary of the Navy for a commission in the army. He then sold his cattle ranch and some of his possessions, and took out life insurance in preparation of receiving it. He was fully prepared to put his money where his mouth (and pen) was.
2. Know your limitations. Teddy was never short on confidence, but he didn’t let cocksureness slip into arrogance. When Roosevelt got his wish for an army commission and was offered command of the First United States Volunteer Calvary as Colonel, he turned it down citing his lack of tactical experience. He instead accepted a position as Lieutenant Colonel and recommend Leonard Wood to be Colonel. (TR would later become Colonel when Wood was promoted to brigadier general.)
3. Pick the best men for your team. If you wish to surround yourself with the best men, you must be the kind of leader men fall over each to serve under. 23,000 men applied to be part of the First Calvary; most of them addressed their letters to Roosevelt even though Wood was technically in charge. Of the 23,000 only 560 were chosen. Some of the rejected cried, so heartbroken were they on not being able to be part of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. Composed of the West’s best frontiersmen, marksmen, and horsemen and the East’s great athletes and prominent sons, the Rough Riders were a unique and unstoppable group.
4. Be one of the men. The ship which transported the troops to Cuba did not have room for many horses; Roosevelt was one of the few men in the regiment able to take his. When the Rough Riders arrived in Cuba, they began their march to Las Guasimas. The temperature was simmering, and the men trudged through the heat in thick uniforms and heavy bedrolls. Still, Roosevelt walked alongside the men, refusing to ride while they were marching.
5. Lead by example. Don’t ask others to do anything you are afraid of doing yourself. When it came time to take the San Juan Heights, TR’s regiment ran into heavy fire from the Spanish. As bodies piled up all around him, TR stayed on his horse as an example of courage. However, there was a delay before they could start scaling the hills, and the men, including TR, were forced to lay low and take cover. When the order finally came to take Kettle Hill, the men were reluctant to rise to their feet. TR mounted his horse and shouted, “Are you afraid to stand up, when I am on horseback?” He promptly took off, galloping across an open area and under a hail of bullets.
6. See it through. After securing Kettle Hill, TR noticed that the attacks on the neighboring San Juan Hill were faltering. He shouted for his men to charge, leaped over a barbed wire fence, and ran down the hill. When he glanced back, he saw that only 5 of his men had followed. 3 of these 5 were shot and TR was practically leading the charge single-handedly. He ran back under heavy fire, formed the remaining men (who claimed to have not heard the initial order) into a formidable assault line, and began the charge again.
Roosevelt’s personal bravery and leadership were critical elements in the success of the Battle of Las Guasimas. In 2001, Roosevelt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.






 “Your heart is free…have the courage to follow it.”
 
I was watching the movie Braveheart the other night, and there is a scene where
the young William Wallace’s father has been killed in battle, and in William’s dream his 
father tells him that his heart is free, and to have the courage to follow it.  
As I sat there in my recliner watching that scene, something went off on the inside 
of me.  It was as if the Lord of Hosts had just spoken to my heart the very same thing.  
            Now for as long as I’ve been a Christian, I have known that my heart was free from the 
bondage of sin.  But until that moment, it had only been “head knowledge”, as I pondered 
those words, it began to make sense on the inside of me and become so much more, it 
became “heart knowledge”.
        I thought, what would I do if I actually believed those words.  I began to dream 
about the way I would like things to be, in my relationship with the Father, in my 
marriage, raising my children, at my job, with other believers that I count as friends and 
those who don’t know Jesus in the world.
I thought that if my heart were truly free and I was to walk in courage and follow 
it, then I would begin to give from myself in ways that I have never done.  I would reach 
out to people that I don’t know that well, and offer my heart to them.  I would look for 
opportunities to reach out to the lost like Jesus commanded, and not look at their outer 
appearance, but strive to see the good hearts that are hidden inside.
If my heart is truly free, then there is nothing for me to do but to follow it, and in 
doing so actually I’ll be following the heart of God.  Won’t you join me today?  Live like 
your heart is actually free, and have the courage to follow it.  Jesus said, “that these 
works that you see me do you will do also, and even greater works because I go to the 
Father.”  We just have to believe that what He said is true and begin to have the courage 
to walk that out.
Live large from your heart…because it is good, blessings.  Contact me if I can be 
of assistance.  feltshoe1@yahoo.com  
January 2008



Fellowshipping What The Heck Is That?
 
               One of the things that I have noticed that men in this day and age seem to be
missing out on is fellowship with other men.  I’m not talking about nodding your head 
and saying the typical niceties at church on Sundays and Wednesdays.  I’m talking about 
real fellowship, the bonding together like soldiers who watch each other’s backs on the 
battlefield. 
               Why is it as men we tend to think that we can do it all on our own?  We don’t 
need anyone’s help, and to think that we do, tends to make us feel as if we are some kind 
of loser.  This is a lie that the enemy has told men for too long, and it is a lie that needs to 
stop being agreed with. 
               We all need support from other men.  We need them to speak into our lives.  
The Bible says that iron sharpens iron.  This is something that cannot be done by a 
stranger.  Really, ask yourself, would you let a total stranger tell you observations about 
you?  No.  He would probably get a punch in the nose if he tried.  So in order for this 
scripture to be a reality in our lives we have got to build some good solid relationships 
with men that we respect and who respect us. 
               Yeah, but I’m just too busy you might say.  And I can say amen to that, 
finding time to spend with my wife, raising three kids, running a business and my 
volunteer work at church keeps my schedule pretty full.  But what do you do on 
those days where things aren’t running smoothly?  Who do you turn to for help 
and counsel?  If we don’t take the time to cultivate friendships with other men, 
how can we truly be effective for Jesus?      
               I really like the J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings trilogy.  One of greatest 
aspects about this series is the fellowship that is formed to help Frodo take the 
ring to Mount Doom.  Of this fellowship, Aragorn, a ranger from the north, Gimli, 
a dwarf from the mountains, and Legolas, and elf from the woodland realm bond 
into such a band of brothers, that they won’t abandon each other even in the 
toughest of times.   
               I believe that there are more men out there that want this same thing, but just 
don’t know how to go about it.  Men who are tired of trudging along doing what they 
know to do, but doing it without the support of any other men.  Wondering, “Do I have 
what it takes?  Am I the man that God wants me to be?”  This is an answer that can only 
come from other men, men that you trust, and that trust you.   
               I would be interested in hearing your thoughts about this subject.  
And if you are an active part of a Band of Brothers like this, please contact me and let 
me know what it is that you have done that has caused your fellowship to be a success.  
You can reach me at feltshoe1@yahoo.com
November 2007