Thousands of people are at Te Papaiouru Marae in Rotorua to farewell Sir Robert Gillies. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
Thousands of people have arrived to Te Papaiouru Marae in Rotorua to farewell Sir Robert Gillies for the final time.
The 99-year-old was the final remaining member of the 28th Māori Battalion and served in B Company from 1942 to 1945.
The hau kainga were entertaining the manuhiri with kapa haka before the processions started.
One of those attending the ceremony was Sir Buck Shelford who recalled his memories with Tā Gillies.
Sir Buck Shelford. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
"It's really sad that he's gone, I was pushing for him to get to the 100th and it wasn't to be.
"I'm going to miss him every time I come down here, I used to bump into him at some party. I come down for a 70th about a year for one of the guys from down here who was big in rugby and Bom was there with all his whānau ... and man he could drink," Shelford said.
His father was also in the 28th Māori Battalion and was on the last flight to Europe.
Shelford said something everyone could learn from Tā Gillies was that we should not be involved in other wars that do not involve Aotearoa.
"War is hell, we should not be going to wars that don't affect us ... we don't need to go overseas anymore because we just lose all our people... we're losing people for the sake of other countries and a lot of them say it's not worth it," Shelford said.
Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies said Tā Bom drove a lot of work around a Waitangi Tribunal claim to get recognition for Māori soldiers.
Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies. Photo: RNZ / Ashleigh McCaull
"We're listening hard, we're hoping to extract as much as we can from the hearings, from the whole process and it's about what we serve the people of today ... can put in place to make sure that the wrongs of the past are righted," Davies said.
He described Sir Robert Gillies contribution to the Māori Battalion as "spirit, courage, comradeship and commitment".
Vietnam veteran Ronald Miki Apiti, known as Miki, was also among the mourners on Tuesday morning.
He said he first met Tā Bom in 1993.
"Ever since then, he has always come over to say hello to me. I would say to myself, why, I'm just a nobody? But he's the sort of man ... there was something special about him."
He said being there was the only honourable thing to do.
Sir Robert Gillies. Photo: CPL Chad Sharman
"I had to turn up and express my sorrow, to this gentleman of Te Arawa."
Apiti said his wairua was "happy and settled". He said there is sorrow but he is also happy to be at the marae for Tā Bom's "final day".
When the service wraps up, Tā Bom will be carried away from his marae and taken inside St Faith's Church where a gun salute will follow behind.
From there, his body will be taken away on a gun carriage.
After the service, he will be buried at Kauae Marae alongside his wife.
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