Documentary Style

Anyway ain't been here for a couple of days, I have been wondering what I can post about, as its pretty shit weather outside, and I did'nt want to take my new camera out in the wet quite yet. So I started on an entry into a competition, and I am now at a stand still.

The competition is a Documentary Essay to invoke emotion and tell a story about a specific subject, I figured that this would be easy, but when you can only have a maximum of six images... it gets really hard to try and pick the right six.

I have decided to so with Tribute 08, which is an event that was a long time coming, for most New Zealand citizens I would say most have a tie to the Vietnam war... well I did in my Dad. When the soldiers came home they where never welcome back to NZ, in fact the got sweet F all.

Many years later in 2008 the NZ GOVT welcomed all them home (well most, some have died since and some never made it home) and I thought what better way to go and represent my Dad (who died of cancer a few years back) than to join the celebrations and walk from the civic square to Parliament in Wellington with his unit 1NZATTV.

It truly was a heart felt event, I cried so much, as Dad was not there to have his welcome home, and yet the army was his life and family second. The first group to walk in the parade where those that had fallen.


It was moving for all those there, and even more so for the family members and friends that where carrying the images of the men that did not make it home.


The walk was both old and new, you had the Vietnam Vets and the new forces along side, and they where just not Army, there where Navy and Airforce as well, I am sure the young ones where proud to have taken this walk with the family and friends of those who fought.


It was such a great event, people meet up with folks they have not seen in years, and the atmosphere was amazing. When I joined in with my Dads group to take up my dads place, I was welcome with open arms, they asked who I was and they stopped to give me a hug and they realised that my dad had passed, he was a friend to them all during those days.


The people of Wellington are awesome, they sure know how to welcome people.



It took quite some time to walk to parliament, but it was worth it, there where lots of speeches going on from ministers and the like. It truly was an amazing experience.


But I hope I never have to attend another again. If anything were to happen again, I would hope the people get the welcome they deserve when they get home, not many years later.................................