Mr Braybrooke was in the regular army when he went to Vietnam.
When he became a MP he twice tried, unsuccessfully, to get a member's bill through Parliament for an inquiry into New Zealanders' exposure to Agent Orange.
"I never dreamt...we'd actually get an apology from Parliament. I'm delighted that we have."
In a rare show of unanimity, all political parties in Parliament yesterday supported the Crown apology for the lack of recognition for the service of the Vietnam veterans, and for the inadequate support shown to them and their families after they returned home.
After almost 40 years of waiting, the loyal and bravery of the New Zealand soldiers who served in Vietnam was finally recognised.
Under an agreement reached in 2006, veterans exposed to Agent Orange received a $30 million package that included an apology from the Government.
Mr Braybrooke, who was in Vietnam in 1967-68 with the service's medical team, told NZPA more needed to be done.
The War Pensions Act needed to be rewritten. New Zealanders who served in Vietnam were the only personnel to pay income tax, "I think we're due a rebate". The list of diseases recognised as caused by Agent Orange should be extended and there should be more examination into psychiatric diseases. He also wanted a "neutral" committee to investigate afflictions caused by Agent Orange and other defoliants.
"I'm convinced that the last victim of Agent Orange hasn't even been born yet."
Robin Klitscher, national president of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, said it had not been fair that Vietnam veterans were made the target of protest against the war.
The apology was a step in the right direction.
"I hope that to some of the veterans who have been doubters that they will see that right across the political spectrum there is commitment to fixing, as far as can be fixed, the hurt of the last 40 years.
"It will never be erased, you can't go back and rewrite history and pretend it didn't happen. It did. But what you can do is whatever possible to ameliorate it...and of course most importantly never allow it to happen again," he said.
Ex-Vietnam Services Association president Terry Culley said it was 43 years on Tuesday that the New Zealand Government of the time announced combat troops would be committed to Vietnam.
He was not saying the apology had "fixed everything" but it was a start.
"I personally appreciated the apology," he said.
"... they (party leaders) all said sorry to the veterans but they also said thank you to the veterans which is something else that hasn't been said very loudly in the last 43 years so we should all take that away with us."
When making the apology, Prime Minister Helen Clark said: "The Crown extends to New Zealand Vietnam veterans and their families an apology for the manner in which their loyal service in the name of New Zealand was not recognised as it should have been, when it should have been and for inadequate support extended to them and their families after their return home from the conflict."
