One of the Far North's very few remaining Korean War veterans has been laid to rest.
Charles Adams (Charlie) Baker, who was an artillery sergeant in what is often referred to in New Zealand as the Forgotten War (1950-53), died suddenly at his home on January 21. He was 88.
Fellow veteran Merv Reid, who was in a signals unit and now lives in Whangarei, remembered Mr Baker fondly. They had met in Korea "on occasion", but had got to know each other well as members of the Korean Veterans' Association. Numbers were dwindling rapidly now, he said, and the Far North/Kaitaia branch had folded two years ago.
Mr Reid said Mr Baker's death was blow.
"He was always our strong man," he said. "We developed a mateship that remained very close for many years," he said.