WWII US Marines - New Zealand

[BuckBuckNo1]

Pauatahanui Inlet, just north of Wellington, New Zealand.

US Marines Camp Motukaraka 1943.

[K1W1]

When I was a kid we used to wander around Queen Elizabeth Park at Paekakariki and dig lead from the butts in the various shooting ranges that were there from the war.
We were quite well versed in identifying US military rounds a lot of which ending up being squashed on the main north railway line.
Kids can't have fun like that any more. :(

[JONNYREB]

Very moving to me to see the sacrifices made by all those kids . I would love to walk those grounds. Thanks for the pictures. J.R

[bucksnort]

Pauatahanui Inlet, just north of Wellington, New Zealand.

US Marines Camp Motukaraka 1943.

I'm proud to say that I help save lives every day. I make the armor that brings you boys back home. (I hope) Thanks for doing what you do. You guys don't hear that enough!

[garandman]

And this [M1 Garand rifle] is what they had with them - a mere 10 lbs, without ammo. Actually in 1942 they were more likely to have had M1903 Springfields, since the USMC had officially adopted it in December 1940 in lieu of the M1 Garand selected by the Army in 1937.

It's easy to forget that we know we won WWII - but in 1942, it was much less certain. US Forces were there due a real risk of Japanese invasion of Australia and New Zealand*.







*I know, I know - what have you done for us lately.

[Jingo_Maze]

That plaque must have been errected years ago. Now the whole world hates us for doing what needs to be done.

Thanks for the pics!

[jsap3071]

My humble contibutions...
God bless them all.

[Pukeko]

We dont hate you all man..........only George Bush. I am sure the people of NZ were very grateful to have Americas finest camped down the road. Well the NZ women anyway. All the men were in Europe and Asia doing something else.

[gixxerjasen]

Having served in the US Marine Corps I thank you for sharing that.

[Shropdog]

As I write this on Veterans Day....this kinda stuff still puts a knot in my throat....my Dad was in New Zealand in early 1942 after joining the Marines on 12/08/41. He arrived there from boot camp in San Diego, CA then onto Midway and the Solomon Islands where I cannot imagine what he went through. He is now 86 and remembers WW11 vividly, as I am sure they all do

[TouringDude]

Very moving to me to see the sacrifices made by all those kids . I would love to walk those grounds. Thanks for the pictures. J.R

ditto. i was lucky enough to visit corigadore, off the coast of the manilla. it was an amazing experience.

[Andy Chesley]

Thanks for the pictures and sharing with us. My dad was in the South Pacific at this time. I did my time from '61 to '66 between California and IndoChina areas. Semper Fi

[peeweekiwi]

Air force telecoms technician. Got out because I didn't trust the competence of our leadership.
Came back home to NZ in '93.
While I'm certainly dirty on U.S. foreign policy post WWII, it was clear that WWII, unlike almost everything after, NEEDED to be fought. Right was right , and wrong was wrong. Without America, all would have been lost for many years.

Both my grandfathers fought in WWI, my wifes grandfather fought in WWII. I don't know what it would take to make me feel a war was 'moral' anymore.

My wife is Chinese, and 2/3rds of her family are in the U.S. 2nd generation: 100% ethnic Chinese, and 100% American born and bred :) Some of my friends are Vietnamese, Korean, Laotian, Indian. Gets hard to make judgements about people rather than politicians :)