Willie Apiata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Willie Apiata
Apiata in 2020
Nickname(s)	Willie
Born	(1972-06-28) 28 June 1972 (age 53) Mangakino, New Zealand
Allegiance	New Zealand
Service/branch	New Zealand Army
Years of service	1989–2012
Rank	Warrant Officer Class One
Service number	M181550
Unit	6th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment New Zealand Special Air Service
Battles/wars	East Timor War in Afghanistan
Awards	Victoria Cross for New Zealand

Bill Henry "Willie" Apiata is a brave New Zealander. He was born on June 28, 1972. He is famous for being the first person to receive the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. This is the highest award for bravery in New Zealand.

Willie Apiata earned this special award on July 2, 2007. He was recognized for his amazing courage during a battle in Afghanistan in 2004. During the fight, he carried a badly wounded friend to safety. He did this while enemy fire was all around them.

The Victoria Cross for New Zealand replaced the older Imperial Victoria Cross in 1999. Willie Apiata is the only person to have received this new medal. He is also the second Māori person to receive a Victoria Cross while serving with New Zealand forces. He has given all his medals, including his Victoria Cross, to New Zealand.

Early Life and Background

Willie Apiata was born in Mangakino, New Zealand. His father is Māori and his mother is of European descent. He spent his early childhood in Waima in Northland. When he was seven, his family moved to Te Kaha. He went to Te Whanau-a-Apanui Area School in Te Kaha. He left school when he was 15 years old.

Willie Apiata has strong connections to two Māori tribes, called iwi. He is connected to the Ngāpuhi tribe through his father. He also feels a strong connection to Te Whānau-ā-Apanui. This is because he grew up in their area. His home marae, which is a special meeting place, is Ngati Kawa Marae. It is located near Kerikeri. The ceremony where he received his Victoria Cross was held at Tukaki Marae in Te Kaha.

Military Career Highlights

Willie Apiata joined the New Zealand Army on October 6, 1989. He first joined the Territorial Force. This is a part-time army group. He tried to join the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1996 but was not successful. The SAS is a special forces unit.

From July 2000 to April 2001, he served in East Timor. He was part of a New Zealand group helping the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor. When he returned, he became a full-time soldier. He tried again to join the SAS in November 2001, and this time he succeeded.

Serving in Afghanistan

Willie Apiata went back to Afghanistan with the NZSAS in 2009. This was after the New Zealand government decided to send troops there again. In January 2010, there were attacks in Kabul. Apiata was photographed by a French journalist named Philip Poupin. The journalist did not know who Apiata was. He took pictures of Apiata and two other soldiers as they left the fighting. He said they looked strong and like foreign troops.

One of these photos was printed in many New Zealand newspapers. The Prime Minister, John Key, even said that Apiata was one of the soldiers in the picture. This led to discussions about showing pictures of New Zealand Special Forces soldiers. Some people worried that identifying Apiata could make him a target.

Around July 18, 2012, Apiata left full-time military service. He wanted to teach adventure skills to young people. He did not completely leave the Army. He is still part of the NZSAS Reserve Forces. On May 22, 2024, Willie Apiata was promoted to an honorary warrant officer class one.

Victoria Cross for New Zealand

The Victoria Cross for New Zealand is the highest award for bravery. It is given for incredible acts of courage in the face of the enemy.

The Act of Bravery

In 2004, Willie Apiata was a lance corporal in the NZSAS. His troop was in Afghanistan and was attacked by about 20 enemy fighters. They were staying for the night in a rocky area. Enemy rockets destroyed one of their vehicles. Another vehicle could not move. Then, there was heavy machine gun fire from close by.

A grenade explosion threw Apiata off his vehicle. Two other soldiers were hurt by pieces of the grenade. One soldier, Corporal D, was seriously wounded. He was bleeding badly and getting worse quickly.

Apiata took charge of the situation. He decided that all three of them needed to get back to their troop. The troop was about 70 meters away. Apiata knew the only way was to carry Corporal D to safety. He carried his wounded friend across 70 meters of rough, rocky ground. This area was being shot at heavily by the enemy. It was amazing that neither he nor his friend were hit. After getting Corporal D to safety, Apiata went back to join the fight.

He is one of the very few living people to hold the Victoria Cross. The official description of his bravery says:

In total disregard of his own safety, Lance Corporal Apiata stood up and lifted his comrade bodily. He then carried him across the seventy metres of broken, rocky and fire swept ground, fully exposed in the glare of battle to heavy enemy fire and into the face of returning fire from the main Troop position. That neither he nor his colleague were hit is scarcely possible. Having delivered his wounded companion to relative shelter with the remainder of the patrol, Lance Corporal Apiata re-armed himself and rejoined the fight in counter-attack.

Three other SAS soldiers also received bravery awards for their actions during the same mission. Two received the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration. One received the New Zealand Gallantry Medal.

Award Ceremonies

Willie Apiata received his Victoria Cross on July 26, 2007. The ceremony took place at Government House in Wellington. The Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand, presented the award. The Prime Minister, Helen Clark, and Apiata's army friends were there. A separate celebration was held in his hometown of Te Kaha.

Willie Apiata also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. He was there because the Queen had asked for Victoria Cross recipients to attend. He also represented the Victoria Cross recipients at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Medal Gifted to the Nation

In April 2008, Willie Apiata gave his Victoria Cross of New Zealand medal to the NZSAS Trust. He did this so that "the medal is protected for future generations." He and his family can still wear the medal.

In early April 2025, Apiata gave this medal to Minister for Veterans Chris Penk. This was part of an effort to ask the New Zealand Parliament to change the definition of veterans. Under a law from 2014, only veterans injured overseas during war or emergencies get special support. Apiata wants this to change so more veterans can get help.

Medal Ribbons

Willie Apiata has several medal ribbons. These are worn on his uniform to show the awards he has received.

• Victoria Cross for New Zealand
• New Zealand Operational Service Medal
• East Timor Medal
• United Nations Mission in East Timor Medal (UNAMET)
• New Zealand General Service Medal for Afghanistan
• NATO Medal for the Non-Article 5 ISAF Operation in Afghanistan
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
• Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
• King Charles III Coronation Medal
• New Zealand Defence Service Medal

Apiata can also wear the emblem of the US Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation. This is worn on the right side of his uniform.

RSA Badge in Gold

On Armistice Day, November 11, 2007, Willie Apiata received the Badge in Gold. This is the highest honor given by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association (RSA). The Governor-General, Anand Satyanand, presented the award. Apiata also received a lifetime membership to the RSA.

See also

• List of New Zealand Victoria Cross recipients