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Series 2, Episode 15 The Queen Is Dead 23 May 13 00:41:02

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Private funeral for soldier as farewell haka goes viral

Published: 3:51PM Tuesday August 28, 2012 Source: ONE News

A private funeral has been held today to farewell a New Zealand soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Family and friends came to say goodbye Corporal Luke Tamatea today as he was buried at his home marae of Hahuru near Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty at 11am.

His body arrived at Rotorua Airport on Sunday.

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Tamatea, Private Richard Harris and Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker were killed when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle near Do Abe in Bamiyan Province on August 19.

Hundreds turned up to pay their respects to the fallen soldiers at a memorial service at Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch on Saturday.

A video of a rousing haka performed by the 2nd and 1st Battalion at the service has gone viral around the world.

The video posted by the New Zealand Defence Force on YouTube has had more than 150,000 views.

The NZDF said: "This video shows the soldiers of 2/1 RNZIR Battalion performing their Unit haka, powerfully acknowledging the lives and feats of their fallen comrades as they come onto the Unit's parade ground.

"It is also an emotive farewell for they will leave via the waharoa (the carved entrance way) for the very last time."

A US man commented on the video: "57-year old male from US, teary eyed and humbled to witness that. My respect."

Others said the video made them proud to be Kiwis.

The video has been picked up by Australia's ABC, Russia Today, the UK's Telegraph TV and Hungarian media.

And CNN host Piers Morgan tweeted the video to millions of his followers saying it was an "astounding and deeply moving Haka tribute to fallen comrades in Afghanistan by @NZDefenceForce".

CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper also tweeted it to his nearly three million followers.

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