KEY POINTS:
On many counts, Corporal Willy Apiata is part of an extremely select group. Winning the Victoria Cross for carrying an injured Special Air Service colleague through enemy fire in Afghanistan makes him one of 13 living recipients of the world's most celebrated military decoration. Only rarely, and only after painstaking inquiry into an act of extreme heroism, is the award made. The surviving elite does not include the 22 New Zealand servicemen whose valour has been recognised in this manner. Their deeds still resonate, however. Names like Upham, Bassett, Travis and Ngarimu sit atop this country's pantheon of military heroes. To that list can now be added Corporal Apiata.
His VC has been awarded some three years after a night-time action in which, according to the citation, he showed "total disregard for his own safety" in carrying a colleague over 70m of broken ground while fully exposed to heavy fire. The passage of time, if seemingly surprising, is not unusual in the annals of the VC. Nor should we be surprised that it has been awarded to a member of the SAS, this country's elite fighting force. Just over a month ago, Corporal Apiata's unit, the 1 NZSAS Group, was presented with a United States presidential citation, bestowed in 2004, for "extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy in Afghanistan". It was the first time since 1966 that such a unit citation had been awarded to other than the American military.
Not, of course, that New Zealanders have been much aware of the work done by the SAS against the Taleban, and the degree of fortitude, gallantry and military excellence this involved. Throughout the service's three deployments in Afghanistan, the Government went to ridiculous lengths to protect its secrecy, arguing that detail could have led to the identification of its members and jeopardised its operations.
Officially, we were never told what the SAS was doing, and had to rely on the passing observations of more candid allies or questionable scraps of information from overseas websites. Other countries with similar special forces have no such qualms. They keep their people briefed in general terms on what is being done in their name, without upsetting the prudent degree of secrecy.
Belatedly, there has been suggestions of a change of tack. Last year, Defence Minister Phil Goff said he would look at what additional information could be released about the SAS without endangering its soldiers. He needs only to look across the Tasman for answers. At least Corporal Apiata was allowed to speak publicly yesterday. Of course, anything else would have been nonsensical, given the momentous nature of the award. Yet "operational security reasons" continued to be cited for the anonymity attached to Corporal Apiata's colleagues, 'Captain C' and 'Corporal B', who have won the country's second-highest military honour, the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration, and 'Corporal R', the New Zealand Gallantry Medal.
Mr Goff has suggested that New Zealanders would be "overwhelmingly proud" of the SAS's endeavours in Afghanistan. The plaudits directed the service's way suggest he is right. But still we have only a sketchy knowledge of their work, and their expertise in long-range reconnaissance, target-spotting and assault operations behind enemy lines. Corporal Apiata's Victoria Cross provides evidence of just how dangerous these were. And how a New Zealander, in the tradition of illustrious forebears, responded with supreme bravery and selflessness.
