Dual honour
Officer Cadet Vincent Copeland, received a dual honour last Wednesday night. Not only did he gain a commission in the New
Zealand Army but also received a Maori cloak from his tribe, the Tuhoe, in recognition of his achievement. The Tuhoe is from the
Urewere National Park in the Bay of Plenty. The cloak was passed down through the Tuhoe for generations. Vincent' s grand-father received it from his mother. The cloak, made from flax fibre, also has an accompanying club which is held by the Tuhoe. The cloak was pre- - sented to Vincent during a ceremony held shortly after his commissioning. Vincent's uncle, Gilbert Iopata, himself an ex-soldier, conducted the ceremony in Maori and recited prayers from the Ringatu Church, the Tuhoe's church. Vincent was also awarded the Sergeant Major of the Army's prize for battlecraft, map-reading and navigation, radio and telephone procedure and weapon training. Vincent's first posting as a Second Lieutenant will be with the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment at Linton.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/RUBUL19930622.2.25
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Ruapehu Bulletin, 22 June 1993, Page 7
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167Dual honour Ruapehu Bulletin, 22 June 1993, Page 7
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