Victoria Cross luncheon

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.  Welcome again to everyone here who attended this morning's investiture.

I would like to take an opportunity to reflect briefly on the significance of the Victoria Cross and the decoration that Corporal Apiata received today. 

The Victoria Cross was born in the carnage of the Crimean War, one of the first conflicts to be covered by regular news correspondents.  Reporters, such as William Russell of The Times, wrote of the gallantry of ordinary soldiers and he was often critical of their army superiors. 

But at that time there was little official recognition of ordinary soldier's deeds.  The awards in existence differed depending on ranks. There was in the suggestion of a British MP in 1854, a call for an award for "distinguished and prominent personal gallantry.... to which every grade and individual from the highest to the lowest.... may be admissible".

The decoration was established in 1856 and the first awards backdated to 1854.  The decoration has particularly strong links to the British Crown.  I am advised that it was Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who named it the Victoria Cross, instead of the "Military Order of Victoria," a term which he considered overly aristocratic.

Likewise, it was Queen Victoria who famously deleted the words "for the brave" and replaced them with "for valour" to make it clear that holders of the cross were not the only brave people in war. 

She also insisted on personally investing the recipients. On 26 June 1857—150 years ago last month—that she awarded the first recipients their medals. You will no doubt be pleased to know that I did not, this morning, copy Her Majesty in conferring the awards while riding on horseback—and sitting side-saddle to boot!

As Governor-General, I am regularly called upon to recognise community service at investiture ceremonies throughout the year.  They are ceremonies I particularly enjoy as there arises an opportunity to meet a wide range of people, all of whom have contributed much to New Zealand.

Today's ceremony will, however, always be special for me.  It was an honour to confer the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for the first time today.  Given the rarity with which such awards are made, I suspect it may be some time before another Governor-General may be called upon to do so again. 

As I mentioned earlier, Corporal Apiata has entered the ranks of a highly select group.  There are only 12 other people living in the world today who can so proudly bear the medal that he now wears.  As I also mentioned before, the list of New Zealanders includes men such as one of my predecessors as Governor-General, Lt General, Bernard, Lord Freyberg, Captain Charles Upham, who was one of only three people to ever be awarded a second VC, and Lt Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu, the first, and until today, the only Maori New Zealander to receive the VC.

The Victoria Cross is an honour that takes precedence over all others.  Corporal Apiata is one of only two holders of the Victoria Cross to still be serving in the military.

In meeting Corporal Apiata and in reviewing the considerable media coverage since the award was announced, what is striking is his humility.  For example, when told that you had won the award, you are reported to have said:  "I was only doing my job boss."

Such a response seems typical.  Didy Grahame, the Secretary of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association in Britain, was recently quoted as saying:

"They are like a family. Courage is a given, but they are very humble people. They admire each other, but they think of themselves as unworthy."

You may have just been 'doing your job' but let me say now that no-one in this room considers you to be unworthy.  Your family, your iwi, your colleagues in the SAS, New Zealand's armed forces and the wider community are rightfully proud of you.

The honour you have received today, and more importantly your actions, are an inspiration to us all.  They make us proud to call ourselves New Zealanders. The courage you displayed is one of the finest human qualities and one that we can only hope to emulate.

As the British writer of the last century, C.S. Lewis, once said: "Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point."

You were tested and you met the challenge.