It means a lot to the surviving whānau of the late Hoani Hapeta, pictured with his wife Marina, to have his name entered on the Memorial Board.
It means a lot to the surviving whānau of the late Hoani Hapeta, pictured with his wife Marina, to have his name entered on the Memorial Board.
Angela Hayden was a baby when her father died, serving with the New Zealand Army in Thailand in 1971. Her three older brothers Jacob, Joe and Jeffery, were just boys.
So having the sacrifice of their late father Hoani John (Bunny) Hapeta honoured by adding his name to the Memorial Board at Poroutawhao School Hall in Horowhenua means a lot to his surviving whānau.
The unveiling of Corporal Hapeta’s name on the Memorial Board will coincide with the Poroutawhao School’s 100-year centenary celebrations on King’s Birthday weekend.
The late Corporal Hoani Hapeta and his wife Marina in happy times.
Hapeta was a former student of the school, with his brothers and sisters Umakaihau, Painia, Waaka (Ginger), Wikitoria, Te Hiritanga, Umutapu (Tabby), Nohokotahi (Louie), Hemaima, Bubby, Paretaina (Peter), Te Mahunga (Douin), Te Hiritanga (Margie), Hapeta, Whakatoi (Koro).
Angela Hayden said she was initially approached by Poroutawhao Community Hall committee chairman Geoff Lewis and had an invitation extended to the wider whānau to attend.
It means a lot to the whānau, who see acknowledging the sacrifice as having the mana of their father, brother, uncle, cousin and grandfather restored.
Hapeta was an engineer who had served with the NZ Army for almost 20 years when he was sent on a 12-month secondment to Thailand. He died as a result of a car accident, just two weeks before he was due to come home.
Angela was just 2-weeks-old when her father left. She has no memories of him so stories and photographs - such as one of him playing guitar - are precious.
A photo of Hoani (Bunny) Hapeta taken in Thailand, not long before he died.
Hapeta was buried in Thailand. His body was returned to New Zealand in 2018 with 30 New Zealand soldiers as part of a repatriation exercise, some 49 years after he died.
His wife Marina died soon after her husband’s body was returned.
Angela said in many ways to remember her father was also to honour the sacrifices her mother made in raising a young family on her own. They lived in a state house in Papakura.
The late Hoani (Bunny) Hapeta.
“It was wonderful we were able to get him home before she passed away,“ she said.
Hapeta’s name was also added recently to the cenotaph at Levin Remembrance Park, which came about after a conversation with Levin RSA historian Linda Fletcher.
“In talking with her, we just felt he had never been recognised in the area he grew up in.
“We’re very grateful. Seeing his name go up was wonderful. And I think it can give his grandchildren a sense of pride.
“I would like to thank Linda Fletcher and the Levin branch of the NZ Remembrance Army for their persistence in making this a reality and for playing a role in restoring the mana of my father and my whānau.”
Angela Hayden at the Levin Cenotaph which now remembers the sacrifice made by her father Hoani Hapeta who died in Thailand in 1971 while on active service.
Angela and her husband Simon have recently moved from Papamoa to Poroutawhao, Horowhenua, a short walk from Paeroa Urupa where her father is buried.
