Unknown Warrior comes home

By HELEN TUNNAH

It was just the tiniest handclasp.

Jean Johnston reached out to her husband of almost 60 years and squeezed his hand as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

Alan Johnston, a veteran of El Alamein and former Dominion president of the Returned Services Association, leaned forward in his wheelchair and placed a poppy in front of the casket of New Zealand's Unknown Warrior.

Visible on his face was all that the unknown soldier's return from lying in a French grave for almost 90 years meant to many of the war veterans in the room.

"It's absolutely amazing, it's the culmination of everything that we wished for," Mr Johnston said.

"So many years we've wanted to bring this unknown warrior back to New Zealand."

The fallen World War I soldier will lie in state at Parliament's Legislative Council Chamber until this morning, before a memorial service and his interment in a newly built tomb at the National War Memorial.

The soldier will never be identified. He died on the Somme in 1916, and has been chosen to represent the more than 30,000 New Zealanders killed in wars since the start of the 20th century.

After a private Defence Force ceremony, Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright and Prime Minister Helen Clark greeted the soldier's remains at Parliament, placing wreaths by the casket.

The three services, Navy, Army and Air Force, have mounted a round-the-clock vigil by the casket, the guard changing every 30 minutes, as New Zealanders yesterday filed past. Last night, hundreds were still waiting to pay their respects.

Later, Mr Johnston almost apologised for his tears, suggesting that maybe it's just old veterans who get a bit carried away.

"I saw him," he said, of the soldier, as the remains were carried by a bearer party on to Parliament's forecourt. "It's so powerful within you. He was one of us, one of those that went off to serve their country. And you just see them all, I could see him. Yes, he's come back and he represents so many."

And they were warriors.

"When you're in battle you're a warrior. They were heroes, all of them were heroes. This man now has come back, and he's known to every family who has lost someone."

Alan Johnston suffered severe leg wounds at El Alamein, Egypt, in 1942.

He'd known Jean since the start of the war - he'd been a sergeant-major teaching the women's war service auxiliary how to march.

"He used to take some of us home afterwards, and I was always the last one dropped off," Jean, 83, recalls.

When they bumped into each other again on a Christchurch street, it was his first day out of hospital in 2 1/2 years.

Jean married her "wonderful guy" before the end of the war.

Mr Johnston, now 85, carried his wounded left leg with him for 40 years, before it was finally removed 20 years ago.

He hopes young people will join veterans in identifying the warrior as part of the country's heritage.

"I've waited all these years to bring back an unknown warrior.

"I thank the Government, and I thank the Prime Minister in particular, for all they've done in bringing this about."

Where they died

South African War (1899-1902): 230

World War I (1914-18): 18,166

World War II (1939-45): 11,625

Korean War (1950-53): 43

Malaya/Malaysia (1948-66): 20

Vietnam War (1964-72): 40

Peacekeeping operations: (1990-2002): 6

Total: 30,130.