Maori Battalion medal event Marching from Mihiroa Marae to Houngarea Marae in Pakipaki near Hastings. The last surviving person Robert Gillies who is now 94
At last, recognition.
As the families of four Hawke's Bay Māori Battalion soldiers who fought for their country in World War II marched from Mihiroa to Houngarea Marae in Pakipaki the emotions overflowed.
After 75 years, the original medals that their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers had earned on the battlefield,were theirs.
Kanohi ki te kanohi.
Maori Battalion medal event marching from Mihiroa Marae to Houngarea in Pakipaki near Hastings. Photo / Paul Taylor
Auckland lawyer David Stone, off his own bat, organised the face-to-face presentation to the families of James Keefe, Mihaere Karekare, Walter Rowlands and Haeata Eria on Saturday.
Stone said it was about doing the right thing.
The four soldiers are among 134 Māori soldiers, just from C and D Company, who never received their medals in the months and years after the war ended, in part because of army protocol at the time.
The Army's official position in 1945 was that soldiers had to write in and request their medals, which were then sent to them in the post.
"Soldiers said this wasn't the right thing to do – having gone to war, sacrificing life and limb. They wanted to be presented those medals," Stone said.
Miha Karikari and Marama Karikari-West with a portrait of Mihere Karikari. Photo / Paul Taylor
An important part of tikanga Māori is the face-to-face element of the recognition, Stone said.
"A lot of Māori felt so strongly about it that they took that principle to the grave."
A few years ago Stone starting looking into his grandfather's brother - who was killed in Italy during the war and buried there - but his family hadn't received his medals.
"I realised that our uncle couldn't be the only one," he said.
Stone did some digging and wrote to the medals department requesting Māori Battalion soldiers' files for C company and D company (and looked into A and B).
From the information gathered by Stone, he found that 134 Māori soldiers had never received their medals. He was determined to right that.
The Pakipaki medal ceremony is the first step to doing that.
"By honouring these four we took the time to pause and remember all of them," he said.
"When you saw each family go up to receive the medals you could see how much it meant to them - they were so genuine and grateful and appreciative."
Another medal ceremony was meant to be held in Gisborne on March 6 for more soldiers in C Company.
Stone said 60 families were meant to be receiving medals, but because of being in alert level 2 lockdown this has now been postponed.
The turnout was more than Stone could have imagined possible.
Dozens marched from Mihiroa to Houngarea Marae in Pakipaki, re-enacting the march that happened 75 years ago when the soldiers returned from war – forever changed.
Hastings District Council councillor Henare O'Keefe's father was one of the four Maori soldiers who received their medals via their whanau, James Keefe.
James was only 16 when he signed up to go to war, following his friends.
O'Keefe said he didn't realise the significance of the day until he arrived with family and noticed the large crowd.
Koda Manuel with a portrait of his grandfather James Keefe at the Maori Battalion medal event. Photo / Paul Taylor
"We all sang 'Māori Battalion marched to victory' as we walked along," he said. "You could feel the spirits, the ghosts of the past."
O'Keefe's young nephew Koda Manuel held a photo of his grandfather, tears welling in his eyes.
The HDC councillor said it really hit him when the serial numbers, names and stories of the four soldiers were called out.
"When my dad was called out the tears just ran down my cheeks," he said.
Stone said it was a genuinely beautiful and moving day, made even more poignant by the presence of the the last surviving veteran of the 28th Battalion Robert Gillies, 94.
"We were so honoured to have that kaumatua there," he said. "It's been 75 years for these guys, but it's never too late to do the right thing and Saturday was about doing the right thing."
Robert Gillies, 94, the last surviving Hawke's Bay man from the Maori Battalion. Photo / Paul Taylor
The medal event on Saturday started at Mihiroa Marae then there was a march to Houngarea followed by a powhiri. Photo / Paul Taylor
When the marching stopped at Houngarea Marae there was a powhiri followed by the presentation of the war medals which were handed out by officials of the NZ Army.
Stone said one of the families went to their ancestor's grave after the medal ceremony, placed the medals on his grave, had a big tangi and came back to the Marae.
"The first recipient was only a baby when her father died; she said she had nothing tangible from her father. But now she has her father's original WWII medals," he said.
O'Keefe said the work Stone had done to make the event possible, out of his own pocket and resources, should be recognised.
