At his retirement from the council five years ago Mr Butcher quipped he would rather be back in a minefield than give speeches - precisely the circumstances he was awarded the MC for.
Roger Gardner, a friend of Mr Butcher for 15 years, said during the Korean War Mr Butcher was involved as a "sapper" in minefields in no man's land between South Korea and Chinese forces.
He said an infantry patrol had become lost, stuck in no man's land, with wounded.
Mr Butcher was alerted, and he knew it would soon be daylight.
Rather than involve others, he went into no man's land and retrieved the patrol, one by one.
Mr Gardner said Mr Butcher was in the firing line for three hours, while his forces put down smoke screens, which the enemy fired mortars into.
Before his work with the council Mr Butcher was part of the Wairarapa Engineering Lifelines Association, a volunteer group set up to investigate how a major disaster would affect the region's "lifelines", such as roading, electricity, drinking water and rail.
Five years ago Mr Butcher was one of 22 former servicemen chosen to attend the 95th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.
Mr Gardner gave a speech praising Mr Butcher's service during a farewell lunch at his church, St Andrew's in the Paddock, on Upper Plain, last month.
He told the Times-Age Mr Butcher's wife died three years ago and he had a small stroke after that, affecting his speech.
He had often accompanied Mr Butcher to military commemorations.
