Pago Pago, AMERIAN SAMOA — Samoa Deputy Prime Minister Afioga Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio who is a veteran of the Royal New Zealand Army, met with the American Samoa Veterans Association on Tuesday, April 18 at Paradise Pizza, Nuuuli.

The meeting was called by Governor Lemanu P. S. Mauga to discuss ways to collaborate with the DPM, and to find ways to better support US service members residing in Samoa and for outreach in Samoa to register all U.S. service members living in Samoa so they can be better served.

The DPM is president of the Samoa Returned Services Association and served in the Royal New Zealand Army from 2004-2008, reaching the rank of Captain.

DPM Ponifasio was excited to meet with veterans of the US Armed Forces and is willing to help support Gov. Lemanu's request and to renew relations to better serve veterans of the U.S. Armed Services living in Samoa.

The meeting concluded with an invitation for the celebration of Anzak day, April 24, 2023.

Anzak Day is a national day of remembrance and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served." This is similar to our Veterans Day celebrated every year on November 11 and like our Veterans Day it originally honored those lost in the First World War.

It is a national holiday in Pacific Commonwealth countries and informally observed in many former Commonwealth countries.