The establishment of formal N.Z.-U.S. diplomatic relations and the arrival of American military forces in Aotearoa in 1942 were events of great historical significance that helped transform the region, but they were also very personal events that directly touched the lives of millions of people.

My colleague Laura is a research whiz who has devoted a great deal of time and effort to giving our 70^th anniversary celebrations this year the authentic, human context that they deserve. Since she’s the expert, I’ve asked Laura to talk today a bit about 1942. Take it away, Laura.

*   *   *

LM: Thank you, Ambassador. I’m going to paint you a picture.

It’s 1942. Mrs. Miniver has won best picture at the 14^th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Glenn Miller rules the charts with “String of Pearls,” “Midnight Cocktail,” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” a gold disc winning single selling 1 million copies. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees to win the World Series. ‘Archie’ comic books make their debut. Casablanca will be released later in the year and earn an iconic place in cinematic history.

Against this backdrop of cultural milestones, the world is at war. The United States has just entered the conflict following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and now there are American troops far from home in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. Rationing has been instituted by the Office of Price Administration and all are encouraged to “make do with less.”

Voice of America’s William Harlan Hale begins his broadcasts across the world. Rosie the Riveter is encouraging women to join the war effort:

 All the day long,
Whether rain or shine,
She’s part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory,
Rosie the Riveter.

Approximately 6,882 miles from California, on June 12, 1942, U.S. Navy Cruiser USS San Francisco escorts the USS Uruguay, Santa Clara, Tasker, M. Bliss, and the James Parker on a grey winter’s day. A U.S. Navy Destroyer, USS Farragut, follows behind carrying troops from the 37th U.S. Army Division. The ships pull into Waitemata Harbour in a country called New Zealand.

Two days later, on June 14, 1942, USS Wakefield docks at King’s Wharf in Wellington, along with USS West Point which is about to head back to San Francisco after a brief stop in Australia. USS Wakefield is an impressive sight. A former transatlantic liner, weighing in at 24,000 tons, the Wakefield unloads the 1^st Marine Division and Major General Alexander Vandergrift. After this, to paraphrase historian Harry Bioletti, New Zealand is never quite same again.

Not all of the men and women on board these ships know where they’ve arrived, many asking, “What town, where are we?”  They do know they’re here for a very important reason.  And this will not be their final destination.  Many are destined to enter the Pacific theater of war in active combat. Some will never return home from the shores of places like Tarawa, Guadalcanal, and Midway.

U.S. Marines march down Queen Street in Auckland, June 1942.

The 2nd Marine Corps Division will pass their time practicing drills on the Kapiti Coast of Wellington. In Warkworth, north of Auckland, U.S. servicemen of the 3rd Marine Corps Division and the 25th and 43rd Divisions of the U.S. Army will do the same on Omaha Beach (not to be confused with Omaha beach in Normandy). 

The 15,000 – 45,000 U.S. service men and women stationed in New Zealand at any one time — a total of more than 150,000 over the course of the war — will bring with them new music, new dances, other new cultural phenomena, new ideas, and silk stockings.

Some will fall in love. There will be tiffs and a few fights, as there always are between friends. Cocktails, cigarettes, and chewing gum will become hot commodities. Milk bars and dry cleaners will become the rage. During their deployment in New Zealand these men and women will be welcomed into Kiwi homes, churches, public establishments, maraes, farms, and, best and most important of all, Kiwi hearts.

A party for several Marines hosted by the Lipshams of Manurewa, one of the many New Zealand families who opened their homes to U.S. service personnel.

A booklet entitled Meet New Zealand,  produced by the Historical Branch of the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs in September 1942 for United States servicemen stationed here, very presciently says:

“Welcome! When we say it we mean it. Those of us who have met Americans before have liked them (or most of them), and we hope you Americans will like us (or most of us).”

I think this really says it all. Friendships are always initially forged in uncertainty. While Americans and New Zealanders occasionally met and liked each other (or sometimes not) before 1942, this large-scale cultural exchange wrought an indelible change in the relationship. In 1945 when the majority of U.S. service personnel had departed these shores, neither the departees nor those remaining were the same as before.

American Servicemen enjoying a dance at the Majestic Cabaret in Wellington.

We knew each other better. Mostly, we liked each other. A lot. We’d shared a common experience and through it found we were very much alike in all the ways that matter. We’d taught each other things. Shared cultures, ideas, drinks.  Out of these common experiences grew a bond which we still share today … a bond which has survived its share of bumps in the road, a true test of its strength.

*   *   *

Laura, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about 1942 and its important place in our shared history.

If you follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, you probably know that I have a passion for astronomy, science fiction, and science fact, among other interests. In particular, I like things Martian.  War of the Worlds, Invaders from Mars, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and It! The Terror From Beyond Space … I saw and enjoyed them all multiple times as a kid.

Mars.

In the real world, I agree with what iconic space traveler Buzz Aldrin wrote earlier this year about the importance of continuing humankind’s exploration of the cosmos by journeying to Mars in the decade ahead. So … I was intrigued when I heard a couple months ago about a group of Kiwis preparing to embark imminently for The Red Planet …

The Kiwinauts planning launch strategy at Mission Control.

… or, more precisely, the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS). Which happens to be in the great State of Utah.  Under the aegis of Spaceward Bound!, a two-week training and research mission sponsored by NASA and the Mars Society, university students and teachers with engineering or scientific backgrounds simulate the demanding preparations, logistical and communication obstacles, and physical impediments of conducting cutting-edge research in the rugged environment of the Mars landscape.

Navigating Martian terrain in Utah.

Now just back from the program, Team Kiwi will be the 118^th crew to go to MDRS (and the first from New Zealand). Team Commander Haritina Mogosanu, education coordinator for the KiwiSpace Foundation, explained that participation in this program will allow her to realize a lifelong dream.

Haritina’s goals are quite ambitious. “This program can be a launching pad to ignite a vibrant New Zealand space industry and education framework,” she said. “Team Kiwi has worked closely with schools around the country to develop teaching resources tied to the KiwiMars expedition to generate interest and excitement around science and technology education. Ultimately, New Zealand needs more students working in science fields. What better way to tap the interest of students than by allowing them to share in the experience of a mission to Mars!”

The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in which the Kiwis lived and worked.

There is a strong, direct link between space exploration and scientific advancement. Technologies developed from space exploration have led to cordless tools, mobile phone technology, GPS navigation, LASIK eye surgery, orange-flavored sports drinks, and hundreds of other modern conveniences. We’ve also gained a greater understanding of our own planet, including how best to preserve and protect it, thanks to improved satellite imagery. Scientific, commercial, and medical advancements will continue to grow from explorations of other planets.

The Kiwinauts collecting samples and conducting research outside the MDRS.

NASA’s space projects have always included friends from other nations, and reaching Mars will be no different. Spaceward Bound is intended to sow the seeds of future collaborations as participants bring their experiences back to the classrooms and to the next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts.

To learn more about the Kiwi adventure at the Mars Desert Research Station, take a look at the team’s website and live dashboard. If you have any questions let me know, and I’ll try to wrangle Team Kiwi for an interview after they’ve settled back into life on Earth.

As you know from a few of my prior posts, Hawai’i is one of my favorite places in the United States. In addition to the natural glories of a tropical paradise, Hawai’i has a rich history as well as vibrant indigenous cultural traditions. In my travels, I have noticed great similarities between Hawaiian and Maori customs and expressions, which is not surprisingly among Polynesian cousins.

Last year we brought Hawaiian performers from Oahu’s Polynesian Cultural Center to Wellington and Auckland. The musicians, singers, and dancers visited Kiwi schools to demonstrate and discuss elements of Hawaiian culture. They also performed at our Independence Day celebrations in Wellington and Manukau, as well as at Te Papa.

A few of our friends from the Polynesian Cultural Center performing in Manukau.

The visit was part of the Embassy’s robust Pacific Islands outreach program. We have also facilitated a couple of rugby exchanges between Hawai’i and New Zealand, and I appointed a professor from Hawai’i, Manulani Aluli Meyer, to the board of Fulbright NZ. Earlier this year, we were delighted to have the opportunity to help bring the complex Hawaiian art form, hula, to the Pasifika Festival in Auckland.

Hula encompasses a broad range of performance art, though it is predominantly known as dance accompanied by songs (mele) or chants (oli). Like fa’ataupati in Samoa and kapa haka in Aotearoa, hula is an avenue for indigenous people to express their traditional heritage and cultural identity.

Performers from the Ka Laua’e Foundation sharing hula in Auckland.

Now seen mainly as entertainment, it’s likely that hula began as a form of worship during religious ceremonies, and many native Hawaiians still view hula to be sacred.  Hawaiians appear not to have produced written records before European contact, and thus hula’s origins are recounted through oral history and legend. There are nearly as many stories involving the genesis of hula as there are Hawaiian gods, which number in the many hundreds.

Hula is a strict discipline, taught in schools called hālau. The teacher of hula is known as the kumu.  There are two main categories of hula – kahiko and ‘auana.  Kahiko, the ancient hula performed before European encounters with Hawai’i, is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. ‘Auana evolved under European influence in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is accompanied by song and more modern instruments such as the ukulele or guitar.

The great popularity of hula during and after World War II led to a simplified caricature deployed for tourism, marketing, and advertising purposes. Beginning in the late 1970′s, however, a resurgence of interest in Hawaiian culture has gradually led to more widespread practice and appreciation of authentic traditional forms.

Blaine Kamalani Kia.

One of the drivers of the Hawaiian renaissance is Kumu Hula (hula master) Blaine Kamalani Kia.  Kumu Blaine exemplifies the living spirit of the “Hawaiian poetry of dance.” He is the driving force behind the Ka Laua’e Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote preservation, conservation, and perpetuation of hula.

Born in Honolulu, Blaine started dancing hula at the age of 5. He studied music theory at the Leeward Community College and also majored in music theory at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He founded his own hula school in 1987 and has dedicated his life since then to perpetuating Hawaiian traditions.

Blaine is currently a Kumu Hula for Halau Ka Waikahe Lani Malie (Peaceful Heavenly Flowing Waters Hula School), which has started fifteen local hula schools around the world including in Oahu, Kauai, Northern California, Utah, Montana, Tahiti, Japan, and New Zealand.  The Kiwi group is affiliated with the Pasifika Sway Polynesian Dance Theatre Company in Auckland.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Kiwi hula group, Kuma Hula Blaine brought dancers from the Ka Laua’e Foundation to Auckland to join Kiwi dancers in hula performances at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland, appearing on the Festival’s International Stage.

This year was the 20^th anniversary of the Pasifika Festival, which is now Auckland’s biggest annual free event. (More than 100,000 spectators attended this year.) The Ka Laua’e Foundation represented our Aloha State alongside groups from nine other Pacific cultures including Samoa, Fiji, Tokelau, Kiribati, Tahiti, and Tuvalu.

The Americans felt right at home. Given America’s vast size and great diversity, it’s sometimes easy for non-Americans to forget that the United States is a Pacific nation. Hawai’i lies near the heart of the Pacific Ocean. More American coastline touches Pacific waters than that of any other country. American territory is closer to Samoa and to the Asian mainland than is New Zealand.

Ka Laua’e Fndn performers at the civic ceremony opening the Pasifika Festival.

And of course, President Obama was born in Hawai’i, making him our first Pacific Island President. (For the record, I believe that our only other President thus far to be born west of the Rocky Mountains was Richard Nixon, born in Yorba Linda, California, just a few minutes drive from the ocean.)

Over the coming months I’ll talk more about our Pacific programs at the Embassy. In future years we’ll hopefully see a fully-fledged Hawaiian Village at the Pasifika Festival, supported by NZ-based Hawaiian communities plus local enthusiasts who, thanks to Pacific Sway and the Kuma Hula, have been bitten by the hula bug.

Last year at this time, I wrote about both the promise of and the peril to a free press. Throughout the Middle East and North Africa journalists, bloggers, filmmakers, and pundits were chronicling the protests sweeping across the region, while citizens armed with nothing but cell phones risked their lives to upload the truth by text, tweet, and pixel.

It was a powerful reminder of the role – and the responsibility — that the media has in keeping societies vibrant, energetic, and healthy.  In recognition of that calling and the events of last year, one theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, hosted by UNESCO in Tunis, is “The Power to Transform Societies.” We just have to look back over 2011 to see how much truth lies within that slogan.

Unfortunately, threats against journalists continue to rise. As of last December, the Committee to Protect Journalists counted 179 reporters in jail around the world.  And journalists continue to be threatened, attacked, “disappeared,” or murdered for trying to report the news.

In reporting the news, they were exercising a fundamental freedom enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Yet too many governments attempt to censor the media, directly or indirectly.  Too many investigative journalists are being silenced, many for exposing corruption at local, state, or national government levels. Too many attacks and murders of journalists go unpunished.

As President Obama said in his proclamation this year, when journalists are threatened, attacked, jailed, or disappeared, other journalists self-censor. They stop reporting stories. They tone down stories. They omit details. Sources stop helping them. Their editors hesitate to print stories. Fear replaces truth. And all of our societies suffer.

At last year’s World Press Freedom Day, Secretary Clinton remarked that “by exposing abuses of power, challenging assumptions, and providing constructive outlets for new ideas and for dissent, journalists safeguard our freedoms. When a free media is in jeopardy, all other human rights are threatened. So in that spirit, let us continue to champion those who stand for media freedom – and let us continue to expose those who deny it.”

Well said. So true. Important to remember.