Political activist John Minto said New Zealand's most decorated living soldier Willie Apiata was "no hero" compared to three peace activists who attacked Marlborough's Waihopai spy base.
"The real heroes of Afghanistan are the three Kiwis who popped the dome two years ago," he said speaking at a protest outside the spy base, where up to 40 banner-waving demonstrators shouted "close Waihopai down".
Mr Minto said that Corporal Apiata, who won the Victoria Cross in Afghanistan for rescuing a wounded comrade under enemy fire, "was no hero compared to Sam, Adrian and Peter".
Sam Land, Adrian Leason and Peter Murane from the Anzac Plougshares group will stand trial in Wellington on March 8 accused of causing $1 million worth of damage to the Waihopai base in April 2008.
Mr Minto, who himself is due in court on February 7 after being arrested for protesting against an Israeli tennis player at the ASB classic in Auckland earlier this month, said: "They are real heroes because what they did goes against the mainstream of New Zealand public opinion and was a truly brave, inspiring and courageous action.
"Unfortunately Apiata is involved in a very dirty war on behalf of America and the people of Afghanistan don't want him there.
"I don't see him as a hero because people have to take personal responsibility for their actions and I am not sure he realises the real reason why he is there in Afghanistan."
Controversial photographs of Cpl Apiata, New Zealand's first Victoria Cross winner since World War 2, have appeared in media outlets throughout the country during the past two days, breaking a "gentleman's agreement" between the media and defence forces.
The organiser of today's protest, Murray Horton of the Anti-bases Campaign, welcomed protesters from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to Blenheim where speeches and messages of support were read out before a march through the town.
Mr Horton said he was pleased with the "quite good turnout" and praised the local people that had turned up to protest.
"Local Marlburians have got to have a lot of courage to join us because in the past we have been seen as outside trouble makers," he said.
He described Blenheim as a "military" town with RNZAF Base Woodbourne and Waihopai spy base, operated by the Government Communication Security Bureau (GCSB), on its doorstep.
The base was an outpost of American intelligence and should be shut down, he said. Green MP Keith Locke said the base was "a huge waste of money."
He said Waihopai and the processing of intercepted communications took up "most of the $54 million budgeted this financial year for the operations of the GCSB". In the past decade GCSB funding had gone up from $21 million to its present figure, he said.
When they arrived at Waihopai in the afternoon, protesters were refused entry through the outer gate to the base and had to remain some distance away.
They shouted anti-base, anti-war and anti-American slogans and popped white balloons to show solidarity with the group that attacked the base two years ago.
A Blenheim police spokesman said there was no trouble caused by the protest which passed off peacefully in line with other protests the group had made over the past years.
