The story of the US Marines who lived in camps Russell, Mackay and Paekākāriki, and the turbulent wartime circumstances that brought them here, is a big story for all New Zealanders and their visitors, alike.
It’s a story of friendship, love, loss, heartbreak and sacrifice – the ultimate sacrifice of young men who came to defend our country from possible invasion by the Japanese - later to lose their own lives in the Pacific War.
It’s the story of how 530 people in the small village of Paekākāriki embraced, were intrigued by and overwhelmed by thousands of new residents, driving armoured vehicles in the parks, practising landing exercises on the beaches and training in the hills.
It’s a story of the Kiwi enterprise and ingenuity that saw three camps, covering over two million square feet - including 2,728 buildings, 1,590 huts and 3,401 tent decks built, one of them, in just over seven weeks.
This is a New Zealand/American story in unique wartime circumstances. It’s left a lasting legacy, lasting friendships and a history that still needs to be told.
