1971 Anti-Vietnam War protests in Queen Street

A civic reception for 161 Battery on its return from Vietnam was disrupted by protesters who accused New Zealand soldiers of being murderers and threw red paint to symbolise the Vietnamese blood they had on their hands.

The Vietnam War was this country’s longest and most controversial 20th-century military commitment. As in other countries, New Zealand’s involvement aroused considerable public debate. One protest in April 1971 saw up to 35,000 people take to New Zealand streets. Many argued that the conflict was a civil war in which New Zealand should play no part. They wanted this country to follow its own independent path in foreign policy, instead of taking its cue from others.

Between June 1964 and December 1972 nearly 3400 New Zealand service personnel served in South Vietnam. Compared to the First and Second World Wars, our contribution was small. At its peak in 1968 the New Zealand force numbered just 543 − 37 died while on active service and 187 were wounded.

New Zealand Prime Minister Keith Holyoake’s approach to Vietnam was cautious. Under American pressure, the government agreed in 1963 to provide a small non-combatant military force. In June 1964, 25 Army engineers arrived in South Vietnam, where they were engaged in projects such as road- and bridge-building. In May 1965 Holyoake announced the government’s decision to send 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery, to South Vietnam in a combat role. The artillerymen were later joined by infantry units. The battery returned home in May 1971 after providing virtually continuous fire support (mainly to Australian and New Zealand infantry) for six years.