Bruce Abernethy (67) cried when he received a certificate of appreciation honouring his service in the Vietnam War.
The certificate offered thanks from "the Government and people of New Zealand" and was signed by Prime Minister Bill English and Veterans’ Affairs Minister David Bennett.
Mr Abernethy became emotional when he thought about his two-year tour of duty in Vietnam from 1970.
Vietnam was a long way from the home he left in Brighton as a 19-year-old.
As his friends celebrated their 21st birthdays in Dunedin, he lay in Vietnamese "slush" questioning whether he had made the right decision to volunteer.
But, looking back, he said he was proud of his service, and songs on the radio brought memories flooding back of his time in Southeast Asia.
When he returned home, the troops were being labelled "baby killers, by our own people", which was hard to handle, he said.
Arriving while he was in hospital, the acknowledgment was a nice "surprise".
"It’s really rather grand," his wife Kathy said.
