# Kiwi SAS soldier to receive Victoria Cross



## The Rifleman (2 Jul 2007)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4115479a10.html

*The first New Zealand soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross since World War II says he was just doing his job when he carried a wounded comrade through enemy fire. * 

Special Air Service (SAS) Corporal Bill (Willy) Apiata, 35, will receive the medal for services in Afghanistan in 2004, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today. 

Three other SAS soldiers are also to receive bravery awards for actions during the same mission. 

Clark said Apiata's actions were carried out despite extreme danger to himself and there was no question he had saved his comrade's life. 

"Corporal Apiata carried a severely wounded fellow soldier across open ground while coming under intense attack. He did this despite extreme danger to himself," Clark said. 

The action took place in Afghanistan when the SAS was helping US and British forces fight the Taliban. 

New Zealand Defence Force chief Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae said Apiata would appear at a news conference later today. 

"It is only normal that public attention will turn to Corporal Apiata," he said. 

"In one respect he is an outstanding soldier, but in another respect he is also just an ordinary New Zealander and a humble man. When he was advised he had won the Victoria Cross he said to his commanding officer: 'I was only doing my job boss'." 

Apiata will be one of only 13 living recipients of the Victoria Cross. 

He was born in the Waikato in 1972 and began his army career in 1989 as a territorial. 

He will be presented with his medal by Governor General Anand Satyanand at a special ceremony at Government House in Wellington later this month. 

Three other gallantry decorations are also being awarded to other members of the SAS, but they are not being named for security reasons. 

All four decorations have been awarded for actions during the same mission. 

Defence Minister Phil Goff said it was the extraordinary nature of the award that led authorities to release the name of a serving SAS soldier. 

"The Granting of a Victoria Cross is such an extraordinary event that it would be impossible to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of Corporal Apiata," he said. 

"We came to the judgment that it was better we announce his name and the circumstances of his winning the award, rather than have the highly probable outcome that that would be leaked somewhere down the track." 

"In terms of future deployments, the commander of his unit will have to make a judgment in each instance as to whether he can be deployed given the knowledge people will have of his identity." 

The Victoria Cross for New Zealand resembles the British Victoria Cross in appearance and manufacture and is equally hard to win. 

Corporal Apiata's Victoria Cross is the 14th awarded since the end of World War Two and the first to a serving member of the SAS anywhere in the Commonwealth. 

Cpl Apiata was born in the Waikato in 1972 and grew up in Northland and the Eastern Bay of Plenty. 

He joined the New Zealand Army as a territorial soldier in 1989. From July 2000 to April 2001, he served in East Timor as part of the United Nations operated there. 

He joined the regular army force in April 2001. 

In 1996 he had applied for SAS selection but was not successful, however he reapplied and passed in 2001, training with the SAS in 2002. 

He becomes one of only 13 living recipients of the Victoria Cross – the only New Zealander in that group. 

Cpl Apiata, 35, affiliates to the Nga Puhi tribe through his father but also feels a strong affiliation to Whanau-a-Apanui, which is also the iwi of his partner


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## The Rifleman (2 Jul 2007)

vid link:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/videoplayer/104926a15455.html


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## Trooper Hale (3 Jul 2007)

Well done! Thats a great bit of news. Maybe not so great for the blokes chances of going overseas in a Tan beret again, but brilliant to hear. Well done Corp!


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## The Bread Guy (3 Jul 2007)

Congrats!

Interesting how the NZ military weighed the persec issue vs. the desire for public information on such a prestigious award.


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## 3rd Herd (3 Jul 2007)

milnewstbay said:
			
		

> Congrats!
> 
> Interesting how the NZ military weighed the persec issue vs. the desire for public information on such a prestigious award.



add in the aboriginal heritage


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## Mike Baker (3 Jul 2007)

Very well done, he deserves it.


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## Kiwi99 (3 Jul 2007)

Ake Ake Kia Kaha 

Well done Bill.


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## Can-american (8 Jul 2007)

I think that it is terrific that this solider is given the due respect he deserves it does place light on the unit in positive and negative ways but a wonderful situation.  Take care Can-Am


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## 1feral1 (8 Jul 2007)

A job well done!

Cheers,

Wes


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## cameron (17 Jul 2007)

Job very well done indeed!!!   For those who wish to do so there is a link on the NZ Army welcome page that you can click on to send personal congratulatory messages to Cpl. Apiata.  On an ethnohistory note the Chief-of-Staff of the NZ Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Mataparae (hope I spelled the surname right) is also a Maori.   Of all the former British settler colonies: USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand is the only one apart from the USA (where African-American Colin Powell became Chairman of the Joint-Chiefs-of-Staff) where a member of an aboriginal or other ethnic minority group has achieved such a high rank in the military.  Very good show by the Maoris in New Zealand's Armed Forces and good on New Zealand.


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## cameron (17 Jul 2007)

P.S. Great vid, thanks Rifleman.


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