Goff Phil: Motions — United States Forces—70th Anniversary of Arrival in New Zealand During World War II 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Goff Phil: Motions — United States Forces—70th Anniversary of Arrival in New Zealand During World War II 
[Sitting date: 14 June 2012. Volume:680;Page:2977. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Labour—Mt Roskill) 
: 
 On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to join with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and support this motion. It was a real privilege to be at the National War Memorial in Buckle Street this morning to commemorate the 70th anniversary and to celebrate in particular the veterans from both New Zealand and the United States who were there. Interestingly there were also protesters there and what I guess I would like to have politely said to them was that the war that we united to fight the Second World War actually made possible their right to protest. We should be grateful for the Kiwis and for the Americans who gave their lives in defence of our country in that war against Nazi Germany against the Fascist Italian Government and against the Japanese imperial forces because that was a war that was to protect our democracy and our freedoms. 
June 1942 was a dark time for the world. Nazi Germany controlled almost all of Continental Europe the Japanese army had defeated the British and Allied Forces at Hong Kong and Singapore had advanced down through Papua New Guinea as far as the Solomon Islands in the Pacific and was bombing Darwin. As the Minister said we had mobilised most of our adult male population but they were not here. They were in the battlefields of North Africa and our air force personnel were fighting in the Battle of Britain in the battle for Europe. Churchill wanted us to keep our forces in Europe and reached an agreement with Roosevelt that in return for our forces staying in Europe a US division would be posted to New Zealand. And when they arrived here we were very pleased to see them. There were 150000 overall who came in those 2 years the US Army to Auckland and the Marine divisions to Wellington. Some were on their way to the Pacific some were here on rest and recreation in between the fierce fighting in the Islands and some came to the hospitals in Cornwall Park and Silverstream to recover from war wounds. Today we pay tribute to them and their service. 
The American invasion as it was called also of course had some significant cultural impact on New Zealand. They brought Glenn Miller jazz and concerts hamburgers doughnuts and Coca-Cola. You can argue about the merits of all of those things. They frequented the pubs—the old Midland which maybe some in Wellington will remember and the St George. They went to nightclubs such as the Majestic Cabaret and I have to mention the El Rey nightclub in Hillsborough Road in my electorate which is now proudly St David’s Presbyterian Church. 
The Kiwis generally warmed to their extrovert guests. Home visits were common—my own mother’s family hosted them on many occasions—with families providing meals and hospitality. The servicemen in return appreciated that warm and friendly welcome. But there were two sides to that story; I have to be honest about that. One I was told by my mother and the other by my father. My mother said they were hugely impressive and their smart uniforms their generosity and their manners put the Kiwi males to shame. My dad used an oft-quoted comment: “Only three things wrong with the Yanks: they’re overpaid oversexed and over here.” I do not know how he felt subsequently about having an American son-in-law and four grandchildren in the American army. Fifteen hundred women went on to become war brides and returned to the United States at the end of the war. 
In fact the soldiers’ presence here helped to develop and sustain a close and friendly relationship between our two countries. There was real sadness when the news came back of those who had died in battle. The last Marine division that left Wellington went to fight in the Battle of Tarawa in what we now call Kiribati. In that battle more than 900 of those who had left New Zealand’s shores were killed and 2000 were wounded. That is on a scale similar to Gallipoli. The columns of casualty lists were published in the Wellington newspapers. It is appropriate today that we commemorate with gratitude the 70th anniversary in order to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. Their presence in New Zealand and their sacrifice are part of the rich tapestry of the relationship between our two countries and their legacy was to strengthen a friendship that is enduring.