Subritzky, Mike

[Photograph: Jan Kemp (2002)]

Mike Subritzky

Contents

Aotearoa NZ Poetry Sound Archive (2004):

CD36

1. The Last Anzac
2. Sister
3. Comrade Darlington MIA
4. Death of a Peacemaker
5. Midnight Movie
6. Lost on the Homeward Run
7. A Cigarette Comrade
8. I thought of you
9. bird of a single flight
10. Air Assault
11. Sigatoka Sunday
12. Special Sundays
13. At Rangiaowhia
14. Maybe they shot the Texan
15. Windwhistle

Bio / Bibliography:

Born in Kati Kati, New Zealand, from an old Polish noble family (ennobled Poland 1495). Education: Saint Joseph’s Convent Waihi, Waihi College. Retired professional soldier. Captain. Served in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force, US Navy Task Force 43 Antarctica, Polish (Independent) Reserve Brigade. 13 Tours of Duty, including peacekeeping Operation Agila (Rhodesian war). Honorary Lieutenant Colonel, California State Medical Reserve (1991). Operation Enduring Freedom 2001/2002, Daily electronic news service ‘Subritzky’s Word of the Day’ to all ships in the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Decorations include: New Zealand Operational Service Medal (1979), Rhodesia Medal (1990), US Antarctica Service Medal (1972), Zimbabwe Independence Medal (1980), Knight Commander Order of Polonia Restitutia (Poland 1990), Polish Cross of Freedom with Swords (Poland 1990), Polish Gold Cross of Merit (Poland 1990), Victory over Communism Medal (Central European Council 1990).

New Zealand war poet: Numerous published papers, documents, articles and poems in a wide variety of media; a dozen books on a variety of subjects: The Subritzky Legend (Heritage Press, 1990): Official New Zealand Sesqui-Centennial Project; The Vietnam Scrapbook: The Second ANZAC Adventure (Three Feathers, 1995): Official New Zealand Army 150th Anniversary Project; History of the Polish Government (in exile) 1939-1990 (Three Feathers, 1996); The Flak Jacket Collection (Brian Riggir, 2001): an anthology of personal war poems; Song of War: War poetry for Kiwi College Kids (Kiwiana Publishing, 2003).

Edited: With Our Boys in Vietnam (Three Feathers, 1996); Poems of Distant Wars (Brian Riggir, 2001); Waikato Word Weavers (Kiwiana Publishing, 2002); The Great Kiwi Summer Poetry Slam 2001-2 (Kiwiana Press, 2002); Locked Down (Kiwiana Press, 2002): an anthology of new Zealand Prison Poetry.

Nominated for New Zealand Book of the Year Awards 1996/2002; named Book of the Quarter by Texas State University April-June 1998; honoured by the NZ ex-Vietnam Services Association by having a copy of his book The Vietnam Scrapbook laid at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. during the 1997 pilgrimage. Numerous poetry awards and work published in overseas anthologies. Twice entered in the Montana New Zealand Book of the Year Awards: 1996, 2002. Assisted with with the official New Zealand Millennium Television Series ‘Our People - Our Century’ (TVNZ, 2000), Most recently, was selected to have his work published in the Australian war poetry anthology The Happy Warrior. War poetry reading on National Radio, Anzac Day 2001. Open mike and poetry readings at various North Island venues.

President of the International War Veterans’ Poetry Archive. Honorary member of 28 (Maori) Battalion Association (2002); Historian, D Company, 28 (Maori) Battalion Association (2002); Commander, Order of Saint Lazarus.

Subritzky has written some of the most important New Zealand war poetry of the 20th and 21st century, and is one of the best known New Zealand poets on the international scene. He writes his war poetry in the gritty, ‘in your face’ style of the barrack room and the forward trench, and is regarded as ‘The Kiwi Kipling’.