Ron Baker's whānau hails from the East Coast but his dad left in 1943 to serve overseas in the 28th Māori Battalion.
"They went to Maadi in Egypt," said Baker. "From there, they rebuilt the whole battalion again and then my dad went to Italy.
"He said to me he was one of five from the battalion that fought in every campaign and battle in Italy."
More than 3600 men volunteered to serve in the Māori Battalion. It received more individual bravery decorations than any other New Zealand unit.
Major John Baker was awarded the Military Cross and bar. His achievements take pride of place in his son's home in Tāmaki Makaurau.
"The things that were most important to him, were whānau. The battalion was made up of iwi lines and to him it was all about whānau," Ron said. "They were all related, for want of a better term."
It's that sentiment Ron wants New Zealanders to remember this Anzac Day
"We've got lots of whānau buried in places all over the world. So, it's about remembering the sacrifice they gave, so we might be here today."
While the the battalion forged an outstanding reputation on the battlefields of Europe and North Africa, it suffered more than 2600 casualties - almost 50 percent more than the New Zealand average.
"What we need to do is keep talking about it. Things get lost but it's part of our history, part of our whakapapa," Ron said.
