Inspiring anthem

I was four when World War II started. At school, in Lyttelton, our favourite wartime battle anthem was Ma¯ ori Battalion .We sang it with great gusto, energy, and passion.

‘‘Ma¯ ori Battalion march to victory, Ma¯ ori Battalion staunch and true, Ma¯ ori Battalion march to glory, and take the honour of the people with you’’ . . . We were all so proud of the global reputation the Ma¯ ori Battalion earned – now etched forever in our nation’s history – for their courage, their dedication, and their prowess in battle, as they fought so fiercely for democracy – for everyone, everywhere.

Now we have a new global enemy – Covid. And a new weapon to use against it – the vaccine.

Once again, the challenge is there . . . to ‘‘take the honour of the people with you’’. And to ‘‘fight right to the end’’.

Fight the virus. Get vaccinated. To protect us all – like the Ma¯ ori Battalion did, all those years ago. For all of us.

‘‘Ake, Ake, Kia Kaha E!’’ Clyde Scott, Auckland