Special awards recognise outstanding contributions

Alongside the 2019 Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry and Employer Support’s three industry award categories, Special Awards were presented to two individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Sector.

Supporting our youth

Recently retired from Fulton Hogan, Kenny Didham has been recognised for his leadership in the company becoming a major employer of Limited Service Volunteers (LSV) and Youth Development Unit graduates.

“Kenny, I’ve known him for about three years and he’s been engaged with the NZDF for probably about five years,” said Chief of Navy RADM David Proctor. “He’s a typical Kiwi bloke. He just gets on and gets stuff done. He’s humble and he doesn’t seek any recognition; he’ll be mortified that I’m doing this.”

Chief of Navy, RADM Proctor

“The areas in which he’s worked with us are initially the Youth Development Unit and the Limited Service Volunteer scheme where he assists and he remains engaged on behalf of his company.

“He works alongside patron Willie Apiata VC and they encourage those youth to maximise the opportunities that the course provides to them, and then he assists them post-course to remain on-track while they’re working.”

According to RADM Proctor, Mr Didham facilitated Fulton Hogan’s support of the Invictus Games and the NZDF and ex-NZDF athletes they have sponsored over the past three years. The company, described as a welcoming workplace for NZDF servicemen and women transitioning out of the Defence Force, has recently pledged sponsorship for a further three years.

“It’s Kenny who has facilitated that relationship, which has benefitted Fulton Hogan, benefitted New Zealand generally, and most definitely benefitted the veterans and currently serving folk who have suffered illness or injury as a result of their service, and most importantly their families,” said RADM Proctor. “That’s what Kenny does.”

Bringing them home

Simon Manning of Harbour City Funeral Home advised and coordinated with several dozen funeral directors across New Zealand to ensure the success of the NZDF-conducted disinterment, repatriation, and reinterment of the remains of 35 Service personnel and dependents from multiple overseas resting placings between July 2017 and December 2018.

According to his award citation, Mr Manning’s professionalism, integrity, and commitment made a long-term and significant contribution to enhancing the trust of the New Zealand community in the NZDF.

“Up until 1955, if you were killed or died at war, you were buried where you fell,” commented Te Auraki (The Return) project manager GPCAPT Carl Nixon. “From 1955, it was possible to be repatriated back to New Zealand, but many families were not given that opportunity by the government. Project Te Auraki was about repatriating those people back to New Zealand at their family’s wishes.”

The project involved the repatriation of 34 Service personnel and one child from nine cemeteries in six countries, with Mr Manning approaching the NZDF in late 2017 offering to coordinate the repatriation and reinternment of the remains.

“Simon’s key strength was his professional approach, his attention to detail and his ability to translate New Zealand Defence Force protocols of tikanga to what the families wanted as well, and translate that to the funeral directors who had to do that work across New Zealand.”

“Simon became really part of our project team. He deployed up to Fiji with us so that he could learn the process from the start, and then he engaged with the families… He also engaged with our forensic team, with our drill sergeants, with all the funeral directors around New Zealand; he was easy to get on with and he made the whole process so simple for us.”