Seventy years ago, in June 1942, the first American soldiers landed on New Zealand soil, to begin an 'invasion' which would have a profound impact on both visitors and hosts over the next 18 months.
The invasion began in Auckland on 12 June 1942 when five transport ships carrying soldiers of the US Army sailed into the harbour. Two days later Marines landed in Wellington.
Once the tide had turned in favour of the United States and its allies, American troops began 'island hopping' through the central Pacific, taking one island after another. Japanese naval power was destroyed in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in October 1944, and invasions of Okinawa and Iwo Jima followed.
American life in New Zealand between 1942 and 1944 was centred on the camps. Most of these were to be found within marching distance or a short train journey from Wellington or Auckland cities. Some of the soldiers were here to train for forthcoming battles on Pacific islands
Although the American forces worked hard, they all craved some time off. But New Zealand leisure-habits were very different to American ones. So the visitors devised their own forms of entertainment and established enclaves of American culture.
For many people of both nations the most memorable aspect of the American invasion was the home visits. Often these were arranged formally, with New Zealand families signing up to offer the Americans a weekend at home.
Romantic liaisons between American servicemen and New Zealand women inevitably developed. The soldiers were starved of female company, and the Kiwi women often found the American men brought good manners and exciting new habits like taxi rides, ice-cream sodas and gifts of flowers.
The presence of thousands of well-paid Americans in the country and a large army to service brought about a minor economic boom in New Zealand and some long-term effects on local patterns of commerce.
The end of the American invasion was a gradual process which started in the last months of 1943. For some New Zealanders it was a relief to see the men go; for others it was an occasion of sadness and, before long, grief as many Americans died, especially in the invasion of Tarawa Island.
Sergeant Nathan E. Cook comes down the gangway at Prince's Wharf in Auckland to become the first American soldier to step onto New Zealand soil, 13 June 1942.
Between 1942 and 1944 about 100,000 American servicemen were stationed in New Zealand, in support of the Allies' counter-offensive against Japan. This American ‘invasion’ led to a considerable clash of cultures.
The visit sparked anti-nuclear rallies on land and sea. Nuclear ship visits became an election issue in 1984 and they were later banned by David Lange's Labour government.
