What is important? Your parents; your partner; your Koro; yourself. His parents separated when he was very young, and he has not had contact with his father for several years. * The SAS has been deployed to countries including Malaya, Borneo, Indonesia, Vietnam and Afghanistan. The theme for Poppy Appeal this year is: He whānau kotaki tātou We are all family. Willie Apiata has paid tribute to his mother, calling her a hero who kept the family together through difficult times. That was what was important for her. Cold case: Is a Kiwi mum the key to solving 72-year-old mystery? Declaring that Apiata is… His early childhood was spent at Waima in Northland before the family moved to Te Kaha when he was seven. I love my family they keep me inspired. Atlanta. -Mark, "Put at risk because of a photograph? You were there with your equals – your mates. His father is Maori and his mother is Pakeha. They are what are important for me.". In 2002, the Labour government kept secret the original SAS deployment to Afghanistan but the White House website revealed they were there. Taglines; Plot Summary; Synopsis; Plot Keywords; Parents Guide Willie H. Apiata VC. Pokémon. You were there for Queen and country. Willie Apiata is the sole recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand which is that country's highest military award. Early on, Apiata took him to meet then Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, about which Alcock was "quietly chuffed''. "I have a partner, and two sons, a 10-year-old and a 1-and-a-half-year-old. * The elite soldiers were sent to Afghanistan three times between December 2001 and November 2005. It wasn't just me who won this. Russell Crowe's great grandmother was Maori. Willie Apiata was born in 1972 in Mangakino while he spent his early childhood at Waima. His sisters and him all shared the same birthday on the 15th of July. Tonight, Corporal Willie Apiata VC will present a brass quatrefoil to the descendant of Cyril Bassett VC, the only New Zealander awarded a Victoria Cross at Gallipoli 100 years ago. Ngāpuhi. -Pete, "We do have a right to know what our military are doing generally speaking but certain missions especially concerning the SAS should remain secret. ", Image 1 of 10: Barbara Kendall and Bill Henry 'Willie' Apiata VC presents Valerie Adams with her award for Sportswomen of the Year at the 2012 Westpac Halberg Awards. Source of national pride that man." BIOGRAPHY Corporal Bill (Willy) Henry Apiata VC NZSAS. Lance Beath, senior fellow at Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies, said that if publishing a photograph of Corporal Apiata in Afghanistan presented a security risk, the Government would simply bring him home. * After a gruelling selection process, applicants are trained in skills including close-quarter battle, parachuting, mountaineering and diving. Shaped your character, your commitment, your conviction. His birth certificate carries the first name “Bill” but he is known as Willie. Here’s a message of resilience from Westpac ambassador Willie Apiata VC (and Blue, his new horse) #allinthistogether. Asked why, if there was an enhanced risk to Corporal Apiata, it remained unlikely he would return from duty, Mr Key said it was his choice to stay. "I am a reluctant VC holder, but I am trying to do the best I can. -Hamish. War hero Willie Apiata called his family to reassure them of his safety after the publication of images the Defence Force say could encourage insurgents to target him. VC vs PC is no contest. His parents separated, and he has not had contact with his father for several years. It's the people, it's the people, it's the people.". He attended Te Whanau-a-Apanui Area School in Te Kaha, which he left at the age of 15. * In October, it was announced that 70 SAS troops would be sent back to Afghanistan in three deployments over 18 months. | Woman's Day content brought to you by Now to Love After an unsuccessful attempt in 1996, Apiata joined the Special Air Service (SAS) in 2001. Photo / Fritha Tagg of the Waihi Leader. Willie Apiata ran across a battlefield and pick someone up and carried him to safety in the Afghanistan war to save someone's life. And last month, Willie Apiata VC launched ‘Post Transition’ to assist military personnel when they leave the NZDF. What iwi is Willie Apiata from through his father's side? Willie Apiata is a quintessential Kiwi - hardworking, humble and honest. In October, Norway's defence chief told an Oslo newspaper the SAS had replaced a Norwegian special forces unit in Kabul. -Adrian Douglas, "Another photo is hardly the issue. Willie’s focus with Westpac is in delivering his Youth Values Programme to senior students in schools throughout New Zealand. They also undertake counter-terrorism work. To protect; to keep peace, to honour those gone before you. Apiata is a former corporal in the SAS and received his Victoria Cross for bravery under fire in Afghanistan after carrying a gravely wounded comrade across a battlefield to safety. * In July 2008, New Zealand-born Australian SAS soldier Sean Patrick McCarthy was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. Corporal Bill Henry “Willie” Apiata. Steven Adams and Willie Apiata visited Wakatipu High School on Thursday, and were greeted by a thunderous haka by the 600 pupils who’d gathered to meet the ‘unexpected guests’. IN THE FRAY: Philip Poupin took this photograph of Corporal Willie Apiata VC in Kabul this week. It was a shock.". "Such solid information could encourage insurgents to plan and commit resources to the task of trying to kill or capture him, which previously they would not have.". That is what they sign up for, and a picture is not going to change this." It’s a tricky and uncertain time, particularly for Aucklanders and those going back to school. "Given the prominence of the corporal in the eye of the New Zealand public, I doubt the Government would willingly take an unnecessary risk.". Explore genealogy for Willie Apiata VC born 1970s including research + children + 1 photos + more in the free family tree community. While it’s clear Ruapehu College is extremely pleased to have him, Ohakune actually holds special significance for Apiata as it’s where his mum spent the longest period of her life growing up. Specialist White Island response crew discussed before tragedy, Ardern replies to 11yo who gave budget advice on beds for sick kids, Kerre McIvor: 'Surely we can feed the most vulnerable of our family', Liam Dann: Why Robertson won't match big-spending Aussies. Ngāi Tahu. His parents separated, and he has not had contact with his father for several years. "Willie and I probably talk on average every second day and the relationship has worked well. His father is Maori and his mother is Pakeha. There were already at least a dozen posts on YouTube and a page on Wikipedia with clear images of Cpl Apiata." he asked the students. Via Marae. Though she worried about Corporal Apiata, Mrs Paora said he was due to return home soon, and it was "his choice" to serve in Afghanistan with the SAS. Taglines; Plot Summary; Synopsis; Plot Keywords; Parents Guide Born on 28 June 1972 in Mangakino - in the central North Island - Willie Apiata was the youngest of four children with three older sisters. "My hero is my mother," he said, "good old mum. Apiata and Key were left in awe by 17-year-old Taraia Whatuira-Henderson of Waiheke Island who lost his father to suicide when he was 10. You did it to serve. Photo / NZ Herald. The highest grossing video game film of all-time is based on what video game? Born 1970s. Apiata took to a Harley Davidson last week to visit Waihi College, along with 10 other bikers, to talk to Year 10 students. At the beginning of his chat to the students, Apiata gave out his medals to be passed around. Earlier on, Corporal Willie Apiata interacted with school kids, who arrived to get the opportunity to know more about WWI and why they're honouring Cyril Bassett VC. The French photographer says he saw elite Kiwi soldiers emerge from a building where the bodies of three insurgents were later found. I cry, you know." Kill or be killed. Seattle. Izzy was born in 1988 and grew up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) and the Wairarapa, where her parents passed on to her a keen interest in native plants and birdlife. Images could show weapons configurations, ammunition quantities and communications equipment that could be exploited by adversaries, he said. “People think I’m this tough Special forces soldier, but I feel and hurt just like everyone else, I … Whilst playing rugby this year at the World Masters Games I had the privilege of meeting and shaking hands with Willie Apiata. "I was afraid. Waihi College principal, Alistair Cochrane, has a look at Willie Apiata's medals. I think publishing these photos is the wrong thing to do." She lives in Te Kaha - in the bush, no running water, no power," he said. 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