Three hundred military veterans yesterday gathered in Auckland for a forum exploring support services for personnel after ending their Defence Force careers.
Military veteran Norman Brooker served in Vietnam, where he fought the bloody Tet offensive.
The experience came with a lifelong impact for the 79-year-old.
Now, the NZDF's Veterans' Affairs group has brought together former Army, Navy and Air Force members for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic to check on their health, welfare and employment needs.
Veterans' Affairs chief executive Bernadine Mackenzie told 1News veterans "are not people who put their hands up for help very easily".
"These are men and women who've served our country and put their lives on the line for us and our children and grandchildren and it's the least we can do.
"It's about looking at their needs and supporting them."
Brooker said he received help from the government agency after "I came back a wrecked man".
"The support services I see around here are absolutely fantastic."
Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata and a 101-year-old soldier who fought at Monte Cassino were among those in attendance.
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