It was a six-year-old's understanding of war and why her grandfather went to war.

'I think ‘Da' faced a lot of shooting for us,” says the simple-but-insightful, one-sentence ANZAC tribute penned for the grandad she calls ‘Da'.

‘Da' is Major Gordon William Benfell – aka ‘General'. And yes, he did face a lot of shooting.

'I have been in combat situations on 33 occasions. And I was scared to hell…absolutely!”

He spent more than half a century in an army uniform. He is a Vietnam vet, an east Timor vet and an Afghanistan vet. He is a decorated sharp shooter. The Army's best. And when he retired, the now 74-year-old was the Army's sole remaining Vietnam vet.

Gordon Benfell with his M60 machine gun, while training Army of the Republic of Vietnam soldiers. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

'I am blown away by the quality of life we lead in New Zealand. And I am proud to have contributed.”

This was all before the mokopuna, 11-year-old Ryder and six-year-old Indiana Benfell were born, but they are the beneficiaries of Da's service.

That's why ‘Da' ‘faced a lot of shooting' – he served so they could enjoy.

Very proud

This month the Major was proudly back in uniform for The Weekend Sun's ANZAC day cover photo shoot, and the gongs for his military deeds and exploits during 52 years were emblazoned proudly on his chest. Ten medals all told – including the New Zealand Order of Merit, an operational service medal. There's the General Service Medal (Warlike), which means the operational tour you were on involved war. The Queen's medal for shooting – the army's top shot and the Vietnam Star.

'Very proud. Proud of the country, proud to have served it.”

Ryder and Indiana got a sense of it when they saw him in uniform for the first time.

'They were in awe, ‘Da' in uniform. It was something new and very special.”

ANZAC Day – on Tuesday, April 25 – commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli in 1915. We remember not only the 2779 New Zealanders who died in that campaign, but we also honour all those who have served their country in times of war. And so today we honour Major Gordon Benfell – Section Commander in V Company of the 6^th Royal Australian Regiment and New Zealand ANZAC Battalion.

A patriotic Benfell was recruited before his 15^th birthday to ensure all was ready for the January 1964 intake.

'Sounds corny, but I did want to serve my country.”

Gordon Benfell standing before a C130 Hercules at Whenuapai Airbase in 2017 prior to his release after 53 years in the army. Whenuapai was memorable for its emotional deployments and returns home. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

There were sacrifices. He was married for just a few weeks when deployed to Vietnam. And he never saw son Andy until he arrived home on the eve of his first birthday.

Scary moments

There were the scary moments. One day they were ambushed three times.

'They were simply chaotic exercises in survival, to get away from the total physical and mental disorientation of high explosives and all manner of small arms fire coming in from 10 to 15 metres.”

They are perhaps stories for Ryder and Indiana when they are a little older.

He considers an ambush to be the worst combat experience of all. Apart from the command to 'fix bayonets”. He heard it just once.

'And it chills me even now.”

By the time New Zealand forces withdrew from Vietnam in 1971, public opinion had turned against the war and the vets. There were no victory parades, no welcome home rallies. And while Benfell felt good to have survived Vietnam and be going home, there was a sense of guilt about those left behind.

'For 10 or 20 years there wasn't much respect for the uniform.”

But increasing numbers of young people are now supporting ANZAC Day and New Zealand soldiers.

'They walk up and tug your uniform and thank you for your service. That never used to happen.”

Why

Gordon remembers being on ANZAC day duty at the Puekahu National War Memorial in Wellington when a little old lady approached him.

'She reached out with a tear in her eye and said: ‘Thank you so much for what you have given'. I was close to tears too. That's why we were doing it.”

Gordon Benfell, second from left, corporal and section commander with his men. The photo was taken at V Company base at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province in Vietnam, 1969. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

The Benfell family is steeped in soldiers and service.

'We go back to the New Zealand wars – my great grandfather was a commanding officer with the British regiment.”

One of Gordon's sons served in the Bougainville peace-keeping force at the end of a bloody, decade-long civil war. Another son served in East Timor and in Afghanistan with the British parachute regiment. This year Dad and two sons will be on ANZAC parade somewhere. We salute them.