Monday, August 20, 2012

The Riverman Reports ...: Fallen Kiwi soldier slammed NZ PM for attending ba...

The Riverman Reports ...: Fallen Kiwi soldier slammed NZ PM for attending ba...: Fallen soldier Luke Tamatea. - Source: NZDF   One of the New Zealand soldiers killed in Afghanistan yesterday had slammed ...

Fallen Kiwi soldier slammed NZ PM for attending baseball tournament and not funerals...


  • Slain soldier criticised Key for missing troops' funeral  (Source: NZDF)
    Fallen soldier Luke Tamatea. - Source: NZDF
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One of the New Zealand soldiers killed in Afghanistan yesterday had slammed Prime Minister John Key just days before his death for not attending the funeral service of two slain soldiers.
Corporal Luke Tamatea, 31, and colleagues Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker, 26, and Private Richard Harris, 21, died when their Humvee was hit by a bomb at 9.20am on Sunday (4.50pm NZT).
Less than two weeks before his death, Tamatea posted criticism of Key on Facebook over the Prime Minister's decision not to attend the funeral service of Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone, who died earlier this month.
The 26-year-olds, who were part of the same deployment as the latest soldiers to die, were killed by insurgents in Bamiyan Province on August 4 after a fierce three-minute gun fight.
Key was not in attendance at Malone's and Durrer's funeral on August 11 as he had a pre-arranged trip to the United States to watch his son Max play in the first New Zealand under-17 baseball team to ever play in the World Series. He was also widely condemned by the NZ public as well.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/slain-soldier-criticised-key-missing-troops-funeral-5035471