In collaboration with the New Zealand Defence Force, Archives New Zealand, Auckland War Memorial Museum, and educational resource platform eTV, the Embassy is launching a video history competition for secondary school students to commemorate events in 1942 that changed the world.

U.S. Army troop ships began arriving in Auckland on June 12^th, 1942, and the Marines landed in Wellington on June 14^th, as American forces deployed to help deter an invasion of Aotearoa by Imperial Japanese forces sweeping southward through the Pacific. The Americans then staged from New Zealand with our allies in a series of battles that changed the course of the war, including at Tarawa and Guadalcanal.

The U.S. 1st Marine Division arrives in Wellington aboard the U.S.S. Wakefield on 14 June 1942.

The video competition, called “Making History,” invites young Kiwis to preserve the memories of their grandparents’ generation by making short videos that tell local stories about the presence in New Zealand of tens of thousands of American Army troops, Marines, and sailors during World War II.

This year’s 70^th anniversary of the arrival of American forces is an important opportunity to thank and remember all who served during those uncertain, dark days – Kiwi and American, military and civilian alike. It is essential that we do so while we can. As the World War II generation passes, personal memories of the great sacrifices and achievements of that era will pass with those men and women.

U.S. Marines at Oriental Bay.

History is not a clinical exercise reserved to elites. It’s a living, breathing, very personal story. Young people have an important role to play in preserving history, gathering stories before they are lost.

In fact, curious students can be particularly effective historians. Their (your) fresh eyes and evolving minds are drawn to overlooked details, eclectic nuances, and emotive content. They (you) have accreted fewer preconceptions and orthodoxies, and thus can often see the past through a clearer lens.

U.S. Army Camp Hale takes shape on the lawn of Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Contest rules and regulations? Only a few, and very straightforward:

The competition is open to all secondary school students here in New Zealand. Video entries must be documented and researched, and should be no more than 3 (three) minutes in length. Submissions should be uploaded directly onto the Making History contest website by 11:59pm on Sunday, June 3^rd.

Entries can take the form of an interview with relatives or neighbors who remember the arrival or presence of U.S. military forces during the war; or digitization of family or community photos or other historical documents from the era; or a video tour of a local school or hospital built by U.S. forces; or a tour of places where soldiers lived or played; or any combination of the above.

U.S. Marines on a Wellington train.

Entries will be judged on (1) how well they capture the flavor of the War World II era in New Zealand, and (2) how well they combine original research and other new materials with the historical resources available via the eTV Making History website.

The website makes available for students’ use a unique library of film footage, still images, interviews, and other content specially provided by Archives New Zealand, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Te Papa, Kapiti U.S. Marines Trust, Auckland City Libraries, and others. The new cyber library is an exciting tool for budding documentary filmmakers, young historians, and indeed any student with an interest in history.

Exhausted American troops at Pukekohe.

Further details are available on the Making History website. The information that I shared above, though, is pretty much it in terms of major rules, regulations, and guidance. The goal is to unleash rather than constrain. If you still have a question after looking at the website, let me know.

Once the contest closes, a blue-ribbon panel will make its selections, and winners will be acknowledged at a prize-giving ceremony in mid June featuring a public performance by the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band.

On parade in Wellington.

Prizes will include a visit to a New Zealand Defence Force base or ship, special behind-the scenes-tours of Auckland Museum and Te Papa collections, and a day’s mentoring by a professional documentary film maker, each at a time convenient to the parties involved.

Thank you to our institutional partners for being so generous with their materials and resources. I have always enjoyed rummaging through archives, warehouses, basements, attics, and garages in search of treasure, and there is quite an impressive trove awaiting students who enter the competition. I look forward to viewing the videos that you create.

One year ago today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Murray McCully signed the Wellington Declaration, a roadmap for deepening and expanding the bilateral relationship between the United States and New Zealand.

The Wellington Declaration is signed.

Despite extraneous challenges of various sorts, both governments have pushed forward on the resolutions contained in the Declaration. The past twelve months have been a busy and highly productive period in which the bilateral relationship has moved forward from strength to strength. In fact, in my view, relations are stronger, warmer, and closer than they have been at any time since World War II.

At its heart, the Wellington Declaration reaffirms the close ties between the two countries and establishes a framework for a new strategic partnership. That partnership is to have two fundamental elements … a new focus on practical cooperation in the Pacific region, and enhanced political and expert dialogue. The past year has been a success on both counts.

With respect to cooperation in the Pacific, there have been dozens of tangible, practical, and impactful steps forward. I don’t want to bury you with undue detail or do a clip-and-paste from my prior posts, so I’ll only mention a couple of highlights.

At a medical assistance project in Vanuatu during Pacific Partnership 2011.

Just last month the US Coast Guard and the New Zealand Defence Force pooled resources on extremely short notice and rushed much needed potable water to the atolls of Tokelau, averting a major crisis. Earlier in the year the HMNZS Canterbury joined the USS Cleveland for Pacific Partnership humanitarian projects in the islands, marking the two countries’ first joint naval operation in almost 30 years.

With respect to enhanced dialogue, there has been a blizzard of meetings, exchanges, and visits … not social calls but substantive interactions focused on regional and global issues, common challenges, problem-solving, and potential joint projects. The two highlights, of course, were Secretary Clinton’s visit to Wellington and Christchurch and Prime Minister Key’s visit to Washington.

Prime Minister Key with President Obama in the Oval Office.

The Prime Minister worked through the highest-level schedule one could have in Washington … including discussions with President Obama, Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Benjamin Bernanke, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, and Senators John Kerry, Richard Lugar, and John McCain, among others.

To my knowledge, there has never been a higher-level working reception accorded a Kiwi official. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Dr Wayne Mapp also had busy working visits to Washington during the year, and other officials traveled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Honolulu, and Pago Pago.

Minister McCully with Secretary Clinton in DC.

The traffic has not been one way.

In the year since Secretary Clinton touched down in Wellington, more than 1,100 American officials have come to New Zealand to meet with their counterparts. That is, by several orders of magnitude, the largest number of US Government officials ever to visit in a twelve-month period.

Included in the mix were two special delegations.

In February approximately 100 American government officials, Congressmen, business leaders, and students attended the fourth US-NZ Partnership Forum, in Christchurch. It would be difficult to overstate the strength of the special bonds forged among the American delegates and their Kiwi counterparts when the February 22nd earthquake struck the city during the meetings.

More recently, Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides led the largest and highest-ranking US delegation ever to attend the Pacific Island Forum. The august group included the Governor of American Samoa, Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell, and dozens of other officials from the Department of State, Department of Defense, White House, USAID, and other agencies. The American attendees divided into subject matter teams and moved through a packed schedule of more than 100 working meetings while in Auckland.

Deputy Secretary Nides and Minister McCully meet the press after a productive bilateral meeting.

Such official engagement is very important, but the Wellington Declaration stakes out deeper and broader people-to-people ties as the heart of the reinvigorated partnership … just as people-to-people ties have always held the two societies firmly and warmly together despite occasional government-to-government disagreements. To ensure the most inclusive participation, the Declaration specifically calls for efforts to include women, youth, minorities, and future leaders in the process.

People-to-people activity over the past twelve months has been so extensive, diverse, and multifaceted that it is impossible to summarize succinctly. New projects were launched in matters of rugby, social media, art, music, entrepreneurship, faith communities, and indigenous peoples. Additional resources were devoted to existing youth, education, commercial, and cultural programs.

Among the highlights were … the visit of the Space Shuttle Discovery crew … harbor calls in Wellington and Auckland by the California Maritime Academy’s training ship Golden Bear … Hawaii/Aotearoa rugby exchanges … more than a dozen concerts by the Marine Corps Pacific Forces Band … multiple visits by Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith …

Farah Pandith in Wellington.

… large tailgate parties and pep rallies to celebrate the Rugby World Cup … a 3-day future leaders conference for American and Kiwi youth …visits of Hawaiian performers and chefs … reinvigorating the twelve-month student walk-about visa … engaging a full-time Education USA NZ advocate … a new Art in Embassies exhibition … the Solar Decathlon … OutGames events … and much much more.

Yes, indeed, there’s a lot more to say. But it’s Friday afternoon. And I’m already late for the Embassy’s anniversary celebration downstairs in our cantina. So I’ll conclude with the Wellington Declaration’s brief, apt description of the bedrock on which the special relationship between Americans and Kiwis is built:

Cross-cultural celebration of American Independence Day in Wellington.

“New Zealand and the United States are both Pacific nations. Our governments and peoples share a deep and abiding interest in maintaining peace, prosperity, and stability in the region, expanding the benefits of freer and more open trade, and promoting and protecting freedom, democracy, and human rights worldwide. We recall the long history of shared United States and New Zealand sacrifice in battle, and we honor those, past and present, who have borne that sacrifice.

“As we look to the challenges of the 21st century, our shared democratic values and common interests will continue to guide our collective efforts. … Our goal is a partnership for the 21st Century that is flexible, dynamic, and reflects our fundamental beliefs and aspirations.”

The past twelve months have demonstrated persuasively that we are well on our way to achieving that goal. Happy Anniversary, Wellington Declaration.