By Ashleigh McCaull of RNZ
Thousands of people are at Te Papiouru Marae in Rotorua to farewell Sir Robert Gillies (Bom) for the final time.
Sir Robert's tangihanga began at 11am today at the marae in Ōhinemutu.
The 99-year-old was the last remaining member of the 28th Māori Battalion and served in B Company from 1942 to 1945.
The hau kainga were entertaining the manuhiri with kapa haka before the processions started.
"It's really sad that he's gone, I was pushing for him to get to the 100th and it wasn't to be.
"I'm going to miss him every time I come down here, I used to bump into him at some party. I come down for a 70th about a year for one of the guys from down here who was big in rugby and Bom was there with all his whānau ... and man he could drink."
Sir Buck's father was also in the 28th Māori Battalion and was on the last flight to Europe.
"War is hell, we should not be going to wars that don't affect us ... we don't need to go overseas anymore because we just lose all our people... we're losing people for the sake of other countries and a lot of them say it's not worth it."
Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies said Tā Bom drove a lot of work around a Waitangi Tribunal claim to get recognition for Māori soldiers.
"We're listening hard, we're hoping to extract as much as we can from the hearings, from the whole process and it's about what we serve the people of today ... can put in place to make sure that the wrongs of the past are righted."
He described Sir Robert's contribution to the Māori Battalion as "spirit, courage, comradeship and commitment".
Vietnam veteran Ronald Miki Apiti, known as Miki, was also among the mourners on Tuesday, and said he first met Tā Bom in 1993.
"Ever since then, he has always come over to say hello to me. I would say to myself, why, I'm just a nobody? But he's the sort of man ... there was something special about him."
He said being there was the only honourable thing to do. "I had to turn up and express my sorrow, to this gentleman of Te Arawa."
Apiti said his wairua was "happy and settled". He said there is sorrow but he is also happy to be at the marae for Tā Bom's "final day".
He recalled his connection with Sir Robert through his grandfather, Sir James Henare - the last commander of the 28th Māori Battalion.
"I'll never forget the words of Bom Gillies at his knighthood when, we were sitting there having a cup of tea and he said Peeni, I'm a nobody, he said we held people like your grandfather, Sir James Henare, Sir Charles Bennett on a pedestal and to be now considered a sir, he said I'm still a nobody and that's just the humility I speak of, I'm very emotional if I'm honest."
Sir Robert was an outspoken critic of Māori soldiers not getting the recognition they deserved for their war efforts.
Last week in Canterbury the Māori contingent was finally acknowledged with battle honours emblazoned on ceremonial flags or colours.
Bom was unable to attend the ceremony so Major General Rose King travelled to Rotorua to visit him just days before he died.
She said she was glad the Defence Force was able to fulfil one of his wishes.
"The fact that we achieved that and we were able to share that with him when we came back and had that time with him, and it's a real legacy, it's the right thing to be able to do, to be able to recognise our veterans, our Māori veterans in particular and for me this is a real step forward and now we need to concentrate on how we keep continuing to improve," King said.
When the service ends, Tā Bom will be carried away from his marae and taken inside St Faith's Church followed by a gun salute.
From there, his body will be taken away on a gun carriage.
He will be buried at Kauae marae's cemetery, alongside his wife.
Kaimahi Wenarata Kingi said there's been no shortage of people helping.
"We're driven by tikanga, we're driven by the culture of tangihanga, we come when there's a tangi and everybody gets into place. That's what we do, that's what the marae commands so when you come to a tangi there's work to be done in the front and in the back."
She estimated about 300 people were fed yesterday at lunchtime.
Last night was Sir Robert's poroporoaki, where the greatest kapa haka groups from Te Arawa performed as well as a Ngāti Kahungunu kapa haka group opening the proceedings.
Earlier in the tangi, Ngāti Kahungunu challenged Te Arawa saying they would take Sir Robert's body to their region in Hawkes Bay.
His grand nephew Jeremy Tātere MacLeod said the two iwi instead came to a compromise which respects both sides.
"They will bring his spirit or his kawe mate back to Waimarama Marae in January at the opening of his meeting house which he is the one who told me, get that meeting house fixed, it's the most important thing on your marae," MacLeod said.
He said it's also a shame Sir Robert won't be around to see it for his 100th birthday.
"Yeah, nah it's a great travesty cause we had great plans for his 100th and bringing him home as we always do but such is life. But here we are celebrating the man, the legend and the great legendary 28th Māori battalion which has been celebrated over this entire funeral."
