KEY POINTS:
Te Kaha Marae billed the first day of celebrations to honour Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Willie Apiata as a low-key affair.
It was a time for iwi closest to the soldier - host Te Whanau a Apanui, their East Coast cousins Ngati Porou and northern iwi Ngapuhi - to come together before an official party including Prime Minister Helen Clark arrives for the formal ceremony today.
But Maori do low-key big.
At least 4000 descended on the isolated Bay of Plenty village where Corporal Apiata grew up.
For six of those years, Corporal Apiata, 35, lived with the Parkinson family whose sons include rugby players Reuben and Matua.
Reuben Parkinson, who is the same age and attended the same area school near the marae, said there was no better place for boys to grow up.
"We were always down at the beach, in the bush. There was always something happening. From a young age we were all shoeing and breaking in horses - it was an awesome way to grow up."
It didn't surprise him when he heard his Special Air Service mate had carried a seriously injured soldier 70m to safety through intense gun fire in Afghanistan.
"I just have little small memories of him looking after us, of everyone looking after each other."
Mr Parkinson wished his father Reuben, who died in 2000 and was a father figure to Corporal Apiata, had lived to enjoy the day.
"My old man loved him like a son. He would have loved this."
And while the mood was light, the day had poignant touches.
When Ngati Porou arrived, they brought with them a portrait of Maoridom's famous soldier from World War II, Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, who was awarded the VC posthumously.
Kaumatua Wiremu Tawhai said it was right that both soldiers were remembered.
"It is important that we do travel back, and that is what Willie's achievement has done - he's focused us on our old people.
"These people were real, they had sisters and grandparents and their memories were slipping away."
