Birthday celebrations were held on Saturday at the Mosgiel RSA for David Pukurakau Thomas, who will turn 100 tomorrow.
The middle child, and last surviving, of eight siblings, he signed up for the National Service Department in Wellington aged 17.
However, his mother would not sign the release papers, so he did not go abroad until he was 21 in 1945.
After training in Egypt, he went to Italy to assist with the cleanup after World War 2, and then went to Japan as part of J Force in 1946, where he served for about six months.
J Force comprised the New Zealand forces allocated to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), which occupied Japan after the end of World War 2.
More than 4000 people served in the force between 1946 and 1948, after which it was disbanded and its personnel repatriated to New Zealand.
"It was awful; the place was absolutely decimated," he said.
"But the Japanese were the most honest people I have ever known.
"You could leave your boots out for a day, and no-one would take them."
After he returned to live in Wellington, he began his work for several government departments, including the Labour Department in Timaru, which he rose to become the head of in 1975.
He and his wife Lorna, who he married in 1949, moved to Dunedin in 1976, where he took on a variety of roles, including chief factory inspector and prosecutions officer for the Labour Department.
He retired in his 60s.
His wife died in 1995.
His daughter Jennifer said Saturday’s celebration was a special one.
"He has a wicked sense of humour and he’s always taken a keen interest in environmental matters, particularly issues in South Canterbury, and especially the Wainono Lagoon.
"He still tries to attend water catchment group meetings."
Son Graeme said his father was a keen fisherman, and was an active duck-shooter until a couple of years ago.
"He sailed through Covid-19 — he was remarkable."
Mr Thomas said his secret to healthy living was "doing what my mother told me not to do".
