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The biography of Corporal Bill (Willie) Apiata VC, the first New Zealander to be awarded the Victoria Cross since World War 2, will be published in November.
Penguin Group (NZ) publisher Jeff Atkinson said the Defence Force had agreed to allow Cpl Apiata's life story to be told due to the "overwhelming public interest" in the country's newest hero and the actions that led to him being awarded the Commonwealth's highest military honour last year.
"This book will not only establish the place of Cpl Apiata in New Zealand's history but will give an insight into the nature of a man who is truly a reluctant hero," Mr Atkinson said today.
"While to us his actions seemed extraordinary and heroic, Cpl Apiata felt he was an ordinary Kiwi just doing his job."
The biography is titled Willie Apiata VC - The Reluctant Hero.
- NZPA
