Soldier's family want body back home

The Papakura family of a New Zealand soldier among the first to be killed in the Vietnam War in 1965 want his body brought home.

The soldier's 70-year-old widow, Pokoara White, her three daughters and six grandchildren aged from 8 to 19 will be at the Papakura Cenotaph on Monday to see Bombardier Robert White's name unveiled on a plaque.

Mrs White said yesterday the combined Returned Services Association and Papakura District Council Anzac Day ceremony would be an honour and comforting but would not be the same as having her husband's body home.

Mr White was 27 when he was killed along with Sergeant Al Don by a mine during Operation Ben Cat on September 14, 1965.

They were among about 3890 New Zealand soldiers to serve in Vietnam, of whom 37 were killed and about 190 were wounded.

Mr White was born in Scotland and arrived in New Zealand in 1957 before enlisting in the Army. He married Mrs White in Papakura in 1960. She has not remarried.

Mr White has been decorated posthumously by South Vietnam and the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, has presented Mrs White with an Operational Service Medal to mark his service. But Mrs White said she felt New Zealand soldiers had not been recognised for their service in the Vietnam War.

"It's quite sad really. It makes no difference whether they were the first, or second or third or whatever [to die]. They were there because the Government sent them there."

She said Monday would be an important day for the family and getting Mr White's body home would be the main thing going through everybody's minds.

The president of the Papakura RSA, Gary Walker, said the request for Mr White's body to be returned to New Zealand was probably in the infancy stage but it had his support.

He said soldiers killed in World War I and World War II were buried in Commonwealth War Graves without the option of being brought home but Mr White lay in the Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia.

Mr Walker said there was some hope and "a pretty strong case" for bringing Mr White's body back home.

"The policy was that the option was not there to bring bodies back to New Zealand whereas later on that option was available."

The Defence Force spokeswoman said yesterday that it was considering the request.