Vietnam vet will remember fallen
Burke heartened public will take part in ‘virtual’ services
Tomorrow will be one of only a few times Vietnam War veteran Morris “Stoney” Burke has missed the Anzac Day dawn parade. But this year will be through no fault of his own, with services cancelled across the country for the first time in history, due to concerns over Covid-19.
“It is normally a huge day for me,” said Burke, 73, who served as an aircraft engineer and crewman for the New Zealand Air Force for over 25 years, including a stint in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970.
“As part of the band I’m there at the dawn service, then other services through the day — it is a whole day of commemorations.”
Burke continues a long line of proud service history in his family, with his great uncles serving in World War I, and father in World War II — his son also briefly served in the Air Force.
But despite the unprecedented cancellations of this year’s services, he is determined for the day not to lose any significance.
“This year will be different. While it is ideal to be in a group with other veterans, those in service and the general population, commemoration is a personal thing. I’ll still dress as I normally do for the dawn parade, will walk down to the local memorial hall, and pass a few quiet moments before coming home.”
Burke is a volunteer at Auckland Museum’s Pou Maumahara Memorial Discovery Centre — a place for visitors to research and make personal discoveries about New Zealand service men and women.
He joined the Air Force in 1963, straight out of school, as an aircraft engineer.
Within five years he was off to Singapore, which would be his base over the next two years on board aircraft transporting personnel, supplies and medical teams into
Vietnam during the war, where they spent two days a week.
They were “mostly” away from the combat zone — occasionally the “odd hole” was shot through their aircraft — but that was much to Burke’s liking.
“We played our part — but there was no fun in it, that’s for sure. Only fools make war — politicians, not the military. Nobody wants it, and the ones who make it are the ones who don’t have to go. For me some of my best memories were of the scenery — the coastline of Vietnam is beautiful.”
While based in Singapore over two stints they travelled all over southeast Asia, from Nepal in the north to Indonesia in the south. But some of his fondest memories came while based back home in NZ, travelling all over Australia, the Pacific Islands, and even down to Antarctica.
After the Air Force he continued into civil aviation roles, and now lives in Tuakau with his wife. Burke said he was heartened to see the public get behind ideas to take part in “virtual” services, including standing at their doorways at 6am, and placing poppies in their windows. “One of the major things we say is ‘lest we forget’, as those who forget history are bound to repeat it.”