Today marks the 236th anniversary of the signing in Philadelphia of the Declaration of Independence by leaders of the American Colonies. More than five years of war ensued as Americans battled attempts by the Crown to reassert its primacy over the will of the people. The date marks an extraordinary exercise of self-determination and the birth of the United States.

John Trumbull’s iconic painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Each year we celebrate our Independence with parades, festivals, picnics, concerts, and fireworks across the nation. Please join us this year for a special Fourth of July commemoration on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building featuring music, dancing, fireworks, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics teams, and a tribute to American servicemen and women, streamed live to Embassy Wellington’s video page THIS THURSDAY at 12:00 noon, New Zealand time.

Closer to home, there will be a free concert TONIGHT at 7:00 pm at Wellington’s Cathedral of St. Paul (at the corner of Molesworth and Hill Streets) in honor of the holiday, presented by the acclaimed California Youth Symphony. Based in Palo Alto, the group is California’s oldest and one of America’s best youth orchestras. Come on by for some mellifluous after-dinner entertainment.

Until then, I’ll whet your appetite with photos of one of my favorite Fourth of July traditions. If you are a geography whiz or just a lucky guesser, see if you can identify the locations pictured in the 18 photos below. Send me a note with your determinations if you think you know all or most of them, and I’ll acknowledge the top geo-masters in a future post. Here goes: 

Happy Independence Day.

As I previewed at the end of my prior post, we had another wonderful Independence Day reception yesterday evening to commemorate both the 236th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence and the 70th anniversary of the arrival of U.S. servicemen and women in New Zealand after the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific. This time we celebrated at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum in the Wigram district of Christchurch.

The Marine Band played. I discreetly entered the hall in a vintage American jeep. We sang the national anthems and acknowledged the World War II veterans among us. Mayor Bob Parker and I offered remarks on the warm and vibrant state of relations between the people of New Zealand and America. And more than 200 guests enjoyed an evening of fine wine, good food, great conversation, and swing dancing.

The grand hall at the Royal NZ Air Force Museum as the reception just starts.

The Marine Band swing unit entertains our guests.

We decorated the hall with photos of American servicemen in NZ in the 1940s.

Present-day Marines talking with WWII Marine Harry Oliver, now living in Christchurch.

Riding into the hall and to the podium in a vintage American jeep.

The singing of the Star-Spangled Banner.

During the singing of God Defend New Zealand.

Minister Gerry Brownlee (center) and other guests listen as I address the crowd.

Mayor Bob Parker offers remarks on behalf of the People of Christchurch.

The Mayor and I are joined by World War II vets (left to right) Dr Alan Roberts (NZ), Harry Oliver (USMC), and Claude Bohn (USMC) for the toasts.

University students enjoying the reception.

Two Marines charm a guest.

A photo of American servicemen enjoying a night at Majestic Cabaret in 1942 Wellington.

Like our prior two Independence Day receptions this year in Wellington and Auckland, it was a wonderful night of spirited conversation, warm memories of prior service and sacrifice, and forward-looking appreciation of the dynamic, warm, impactful, expanding partnership between our people and our countries. I wasn’t at all surprised. Family gatherings are always special occasions.

Mondays are turning into very festive days for us at the Embassy and Consulate General. This past Monday we again threw a party, welcoming more than 400 guests to the stunning Events Centre on the top floor of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.  Once again we were celebrating the 236^th Independence Day of the United States of America as well as the 70^th anniversary of the arrival of American armed forces to help defend New Zealand during World War II.

It was not an accident that we chose the Museum as the site of our reception. Auckland Domain, in which the Auckland War Memorial Museum sits, was home to two U.S. camps during the war — Inner-Camp Hale (which housed more than 1,000 U.S. Navy shore staff and patients recovering from wounds suffered in combat in Pacific island battles against the invaders) and Outer-Camp Hale (consisting of 15 buildings on the slope directly in front of the Museum and used as a U.S. Army hospital complex with 750 beds).

Auckland War Memorial Museum as it looked in 1943 when Auckland Domain was home to Camp Hale.

As in Wellington a week earlier, it was a wonderful evening filled with music, conversation, dance, shared memories, and warm appreciation for ongoing friendship and collaboration. We maintained the 1942 theme and brought with us the same vintage photo posters, video reel, and music that we used in Town Hall in Wellington. We had some trouble, though, getting a vehicle up to the top floor of the Museum, so we parked three 1940′s American jeeps on the outside steps to greet guests and ease them into the mood of the evening.

As they reached the roof-top venue guests were met by the sounds of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and other 1940′s masters, played by the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band. Many more people than in Wellington took the opportunity to dance, and the floor in front of the stage was filled with jiving, spinning couples. Perhaps the most popular of the dancing duos was national treasure Lucy Lawless and my star-struck colleague Jeremy.

Lucy and Jeremy leading the way on the dance floor.

Our other guests included friends from academic, NGO, cultural, faith, business, medical, legal, and media circles as well as military veterans and many of my students. As in Wellington, I had some difficulty getting around the room, but I did get to say hello briefly to most of the attendees including Lady June Hillary, Jools Topp, AWMM Board Chairman Dr. William Randall, Aliya Danzeisen (founder of  Women’s Organization of the Waikato Muslim Association), Pacific Cooperation Foundation chief executive Meg Poutasi …

… Rev. Uesifili Unasa (chair of Auckland’s Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel), Bevan Chuang  (of Auckland’s Ethnic Peoples Advisory Panel), Pasifika Festival director Ole Maiava, worldclass sportswoman and educator Beatrice Faumuina, Auckland Art Gallery director Chris Saines, Professor Sergei Gulyaev (director of AUT’s Radio Astronomy Institute), Spasifik Magazine editor Innes Logan, Westpac private banking head Simon Power, MIT’s Dr. Stuart Middleton, James Pinker (of Mangere Arts Centre), Kiwibots’ Chris Hamling, Computer Clubhouse’s Mike Usmar, among others.

Lady Hillary chatting with friends at the reception.

Government, public service, and diplomatic circles were also well represented. I chatted with His Worship the Mayor of Auckland Len Brown, Labour Foreign Affairs spokesman Phil Goff, Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana (representing his father Kingi Tuheitia), Minister Maurice Williamson, and MPs including Jacinda Ardern, Paul Hutchison, and Shane Jones …

… as well as several City Councilors, MFAT Auckland office director Warwick Hawker, and Chairman Peter Kiely of the Pacific Cooperation Foundation. Most of the Auckland diplomatic corps turned out including my good friends Rodney Walshe (New Zealand’s most prominent Irishman, honorary or otherwise) and Samoan Consul General Pogi Reupena.

Helen Kotua and Te Ariki Tamaroa Whatumoana.

As usual, we poured fine American wines and Coca Cola products. My staff vetoed my request for pizza and hot dogs so we offered guests an assortment of American fusion hors d’œuvres including avocado-salsa-espelette-cilantro tortilla wafers, polenta-blue-cheese-pomegranate-caramelized-onion filo tartlets, pancetta-wrapped scallops, smoked-chicken-mango-cilantro-chili-pepper tortilla crisps, and spiced lamb burgers with tomato chutney, feta, and mint.

We started the formal proceedings with the two national anthems. The Star-Spangled Banner was again sung by Chief Warrant Officer Michael Smith of the Marine Band. God Defend New Zealand was sung by NZ Defence Force veteran Grant Armishaw. I then spoke briefly about the 70th anniversary of the arrival of U.S. forces and what I consider to be the true meaning of friendship, service, and independence.

Mayor Len Brown offered spirited remarks about Auckland’s historically strong and increasingly vibrant relationship with the United States including with sister city Los Angeles (and with Waitakere’s sister city Huntington Beach). He made a few rugby comments that riled the crowd, so I responded in kind.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown offers remarks on behalf of the people of Auckland.

The Mayor and I then asked three World War II veterans — U.S. Marine Jack Long and N.Z. Army infantrymen Doug Ross and Rangi Ryan — to join us on stage to toast the People, Heads of State, and veterans of our two countries. Led to the stage by active-duty U.S. Marines, the three veterans were enthusiastically applauded by attendees for their service.

Mr. Long volunteered for the Marine Corps before Pearl Harbor and fought as a Flying Sergeant in two of the most hellish battles of the Pacific war, Guadalcanal and Bougainville. He was twice evacuated to New Zealand where he spent lengthy periods recovering in hospital, first from jaundice and then from wounds suffered when his airplane crashed during a mission.

Doug Ross and Rangi Ryan served in the 37th Infantry Brigade, NZ 3rd Division both in the Pacific and Europe during World War II. Mr. Ross saw action on Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella (in the Solomons), Nissan (in the Green Island group), and Italy. Mr. Ryan’s most memorable combat experience was in the Solomons and New Caledonia.

Introducing WWII veterans (left to right) Rangi Ryan, Doug Ross, and Jack Long.

Just as with our event in Wellington, a lot of hard work and effort went into planning and executing the reception. I would like to thank our friends at the Auckland War Memorial Museum including Director Roy Clare, Kim Poole, and Rachel Prebble, as well as our corporate partners without whom the evening would not have been possible …

… Boeing Australia & South Pacific, Christchurch Engine Centre (Pratt & Whitney), Cubic Defence NZ, GE Corporate, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft New Zealand Limited, Motion Picture Association of America, NZFACT, UPS (United Parcel Service), Ceres New Zealand, MagTek, Visa, and Distilled Spirits Association of New Zealand (and its CEO Thomas Chin).

Mayor Brown, Chris Hamling (national manager of Kiwibots NZ), and Sean Topham (Northern Regional Chair of Young Nats).

Kim Daly, Hon. Phil Goff, and Stuart Middleton sampling the food.

Guests viewing images of wartime New Zealand.

Visiting U.S. Army Major General Roger Mathews greets WWII veterans.

We aren’t done yet, though. Believe it or not, I’ve just dropped into a third city in time for a third Independence Day celebration. I flew to Christchurch from Wellington yesterday afternoon to meet the Marine Band, which had flown directly from Auckland the day before.

We played two great concerts yesterday – to a full house of more than 600 folks at La Vida in Riccarton and then to a couple hundred Cantabrians at the Geodome in Hagley Park. Today, after morning tea with my friend (and starlight doyen) Margaret Austin, we returned to the Geodome for another concert to a packed house of 400 Christchurch primary school students. Tonight we will conclude the two-week U.S. Marine Band tour as well as our formal 70th anniversary commemorations with an Independence Day celebration at the Royal NZ Air Force Museum here in Christchurch.

I’m sorry about any typos in the text above, but I’m firing off this post quickly on my laptop while trying to change into a fresh shirt and suit for this evening’s reception. It’s certainly a bad look for a host to show up late for his own party, so I’ll problee nede too forego mi uzule prufereeding. Apollogeez.

As part of celebrating the significant United States/New Zealand 70th anniversaries this year we designed and minted a commemorative coin to be gifted to guests at our Independence Day celebrations in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch. The coins debuted yesterday evening at our first such reception, in Wellington’s historic old Town Hall.

Of course, the coins are not legal tender, but they do look great. (The photos don’t quite capture the etched details and the sheen of the metal.) Here are the two sides of the coin, in larger than real-life form:

As you may know, the message on the scroll on the reverse side of the coin comes from a plaque that the U.S. Marines presented to Wellington City Council in thanks and appreciation for the hospitality of the citizens of the region during the war. Still mounted on a sea wall on Aotea Quay, the plaque accurately and succinctly sums up the Marines’ historical and ongoing feelings about New Zealand.