FReeper Canteen ~ Cpl Apiata, NZ, Awarded Victoria Cross

Serving The Best Troops In The World | Diehard the Hunter & The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

Canteen Mission Statement

Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

Corporal Bill Henry "Willy" Apiata, VC (born 28 June 1972 in Mangakino, New Zealand) is a member of the Special Air Service of New Zealand and the first recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. He is also the first New Zealander to be awarded a Victoria Cross since 1943. He received the award on July 2, 2007 for bravery under fire during the Afghanistan conflict in 2004, after carrying a wounded compatriot across a battlefield to receive medical treatment.

Fanfare For The Common Man

God Defend New Zealand

Po Karekare Ana

How Bizarre

Temaeva Haka

Queen Victoria chose the design for the new decoration. It is in the form of a Maltese Cross ensigned with the Royal Crest and a scroll inscribed simply "For Valour". It is connected by a V-shaped link to a bar engraved on the face with the recipient's name. The date of the deed for which the honour is bestowed is engraved on the back of the Cross itself. It is worn on the left breast, before all other medals and awards, suspended from a 1½-inch wide red ribbon. Originally the VC ribbon was blue for the Navy, and dark red for the Army. Since 1918, all VC awards use the crimson shade. The medal itself was, and still is, made of bronze melted down from the Russian cannons captured at Sevastopol in the Crimean War.

The Haka

Pacific Colours

Kilikiti Dance

Tarakihi (The Locust)

Po Ata Rau

The Special Air Service of New Zealand (NZ SAS) was formed on July 7, 1955 as an elite New Zealand Army and highly-secretive unit capable of undertaking special missions. It was modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS).

The New Zealand Government states that NZ SAS is the "premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force", is based in Auckland, and has the motto "who dares wins".

The elite unit is "capable of undertaking unconventional warfare". Its key roles are to undertake overseas missions and respond to domestic terrorist attacks.

The New Zealand SAS is held in high regard internationally - as demonstrated by the United States Presidential Citation awarded to the NZSAS on 7 December 2004.

Please remember that The Canteen is Family Friendly.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ms b...((HUGS))...I’ve been busier than a one armed paperhanger for the last few hours. How ya doing? Meds working well? Mr B and Minette doing good jobs of taking care of you?

[mylife]

Well thats ok. You get your beauty rest, and get all better for our visit.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

*HUG*
I’m doin’ okay Ma..
Meds I had yesterday did not agree, but I was given some new ones and am much better now..
Mr.B, Minette, and Lady Vet have been takin’ great care of me!
;0)
Ms.B

[MS.BEHAVIN]

The way I see it, sleep is healing at this point!
I wanna be rarin’ ta go when you get here..
Good thing we didn’t rent the cottage this week..
the weather has been crappy with rain..
I did pick a good week to be laid up tho!
Ms.B

[mylife]

Howdy Missy!

Sure hoping that the rain you had today is heading this way!

I hope your'e kidding, Ive seen all the rain I can stand!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good job, caretakers, good job!!

Are you able to sleep? I hope so.

[luvie]

((((HUGS))))
How's my Sis tonight?
Healing I hope!

[mylife]

See? Everything works out for the best.

[naturalman1975]

Can someone explain those two sentences to me so that it makes sense?

Certainly.

The Victoria Cross is the pre-eminent award for valour in combat conditions in the British Imperial Honours system. Until recently, the Dominions of the Commonwealth of Nations (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) awarded British Imperial Honours to their citizens. In recent decades (from the 1960s for Canada, 1970s for Australia, from the late 1990s for New Zealand), these nations have gradualoly introduced their own Honours systems (I, myself, am a Member of the Order of Australia, which gives me a real interest in the whole system) which includes their own medals for military service. Nearly all Imperial awards were replaced.

Because of the special place the Victoria Cross holds in our history, though, it was decided this medal should be retained - and so the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Victoria Cross for Canada, and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand, were instituted. These medals are awarded by the Queen, on the advice of the government of the Nation concerned, and are considered to be equivalent to the (Imperial Honours)) Victoria Cross in every way. Australian and New Zealand's VCs are identical in appearance to the original, Canada's is very slightly different (the motto 'For Valour' is rendered in Latin as 'Pro Valore' - I believe as a compromise in a nation with English and French as official languages). No Victoria Crosses have yet been awarded in the Canadian or Australian Honours systems.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

*HUG*
I’m doin’ okay Luv..
Really sore, but okay..
I wanted to see you guys for a bit before I hit the rack..
How you doing?
Ms.B

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, lauren...thanks for our National Anthem...singing along.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
Well, it has so far!
Didja have a good day, my?
We did up some jerk chicken for supper...
Yum!
Ms.B

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Luv....it is my honor to remember our heroes.

Hope you had a good day.

[mylife]

Rotten day here.
You had surgery yesterday.
My good friend had major cancer surgery today.
We had layoffs at work today. I survived

How was dinner Mon? ;0)

[luvie]

I'm doin' good! Just counting the days till we get to be together, all of us. It's only 5 weeks till we take off for NY!

Hey! BB! Do ya think I am bringing enough clothes? ;D

[MS.BEHAVIN]

(((((((((((((mylife)))))))))))
I’m sorry you had a bad day, Sweet..
You survived the layoff?
Yay!
I’ll keep your friend in my prayers, My.
Ms.B

[luvie]

It’s been a good day...and the rain we had this evening really helped make it so. It feels so refreshing...the temperature dropped about 20 degrees, and that’s a good thing! LOL!

Have y’all gotten any soaking rains yet to thwart the fires?

[Kathy in Alaska]

WooHoo....kiddos closer to Gramma.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

LOL
Uh oh..
I don’t think BBs gonna like seein’ all that luggage!
Ms.B

[mylife]

It sucked to see them walk out 58 year olds with 26 yrs experiance