24-04-2025
Thousands attend Anzac Day services across Hawke's Bay
MacLeod spoke to the crowd of around 1000 about the time he spent with Bom, saying Bom treated him like a 'mokopuna and a friend'.
'In 1988, at the Māori Battalion reunion which was held here, this car park was full of veterans, and then we lost the last one last year,' MacLeod said.
MacLeod was also wearing his great-great-grandfather's medals and his late grandfather's Māori Battalion jersey - which he said was 'an incredible honour'.
At the end of his speech MacLeod sang 'Buonanotte Mi Amore', an Italian song that MacLeod said was one of the many favourites of the 28th Māori Battalion, which translates to 'Goodnight My Sweetheart'.
Among the crowd was Steve Kendall, who spent 40 years with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, serving across all Air Force bases in New Zealand.
'It's pretty special to be here,' he said.
'Anzac Day will just go on and on, it will get bigger and bigger.
'More and more people get involved now that the world is not at peace, that's the bottom line.'
In Napier, well over 1000 people turned out for the dawn service at the Sound Shell.
Royal NZ Air Force warrant officer Darryn Wells spoke to the crowd, reflecting on the sacrifice of servicemen and servicewomen in WWII.
He said as news of the cruelty of Nazi concentration camps reached New Zealand at the end of the war, that 'confirmed for New Zealanders that the war that had been forced upon them in 1939 had indeed been a just struggle against evil'.
He encouraged people to continue to honour those who fought in the war.
'When we leave here today, we might like to consider what we individuals and as a country can do to continue to uphold the rule of law, freedom and basic human rights.
'In doing this we can continue to honour in a powerful way the memory of those servicemen and women who came before us and sacrificed so much for our nation and our values.'
Guest speaker Joseph Pedler echoed that sentiment during the service.
'The significance of Anzac Day extends far beyond reflection of the past, it is a reminder to draw strength from the lessons of those who have gone before us,' he said.
'The Anzac spirit - born of hardship and forged in battle - continues to resonate within every Australian and New Zealander.
'It is a spirit of unity, courage and a duty to our countries, it binds us together and inspires us to face challenges both big and small with the same determination and resilience.
'In our communities, the Anzac spirit is reflected in the way we care for one another - extend kindness and stand together in times of need.'
Master of Ceremonies Charles Ropitini, who helped organise the Hastings dawn service, said his focus was to ensure that everybody had a good personal moment.
