A Life Well Spent
David Newman had countless ventures over his life time, moulding him into the man he is today. He has always cared about the people around him before himself. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand on the 29th of March 1937, he was a very curious young boy, always saying to his mother Violet “I want to travel the world and see all it has to offer”. His father was sent to fight in World War 2 and David didn’t know him until the age of seven.
After his father returned, the family relocated to Mapua to run an apple farm. David reflected on his time there stating, “After a few years living on the farm it came to me that I didn’t want to stay here forever and I remember seeing a recruitment poster which had a beautiful beach with two palm trees and a ship in the bay and I said to myself I want to …show more content…
Four of David’s friends who also worked on his ship had died from blood related cancers, although David Stated he was one of the lucky ones.
The HMNZS Pukaki’s next assignment was to escort Sir Edmund Hillary down to the South Pole as he was attempting to cross the Antarctic. “I remember people sunbathing on the deck because it was so warm,” David said with a smile.
After the HMNZS Pukaki returned, David was offered a job as one of the Prime Ministers Crypto staff. These men would decode messages from different countries. “My crew and I were sent to England to pick up New Zealand’s first very own ship the HMNZS Otago which costed six million dollars at the time,” exclaimed David. After returning from England David was stationed at an Air Force Base in shelly Bay. This was where he met his future wife Marina. David was offered a promotion as chief yeoman “I had to sign on for five more years if I took the position and Marina was not willing to wait five more years to get married,” Stated David. He never regrets this choice as he says that the life he has now is
David Newman had countless ventures over his life time, moulding him into the man he is today. He has always cared about the people around him before himself. Born in Dunedin, New Zealand on the 29th of March 1937, he was a very curious young boy, always saying to his mother Violet “I want to travel the world and see all it has to offer”. His father was sent to fight in World War 2 and David didn’t know him until the age of seven.
After his father returned, the family relocated to Mapua to run an apple farm. David reflected on his time there stating, “After a few years living on the farm it came to me that I didn’t want to stay here forever and I remember seeing a recruitment poster which had a beautiful beach with two palm trees and a ship in the bay and I said to myself I want to …show more content…
Four of David’s friends who also worked on his ship had died from blood related cancers, although David Stated he was one of the lucky ones.
The HMNZS Pukaki’s next assignment was to escort Sir Edmund Hillary down to the South Pole as he was attempting to cross the Antarctic. “I remember people sunbathing on the deck because it was so warm,” David said with a smile.
After the HMNZS Pukaki returned, David was offered a job as one of the Prime Ministers Crypto staff. These men would decode messages from different countries. “My crew and I were sent to England to pick up New Zealand’s first very own ship the HMNZS Otago which costed six million dollars at the time,” exclaimed David. After returning from England David was stationed at an Air Force Base in shelly Bay. This was where he met his future wife Marina. David was offered a promotion as chief yeoman “I had to sign on for five more years if I took the position and Marina was not willing to wait five more years to get married,” Stated David. He never regrets this choice as he says that the life he has now is