Girls love Willie Apiata

Reluctant hero Willie Apiata has now become an unwitting sex symbol.

Fans of the VC-winning SAS commando have set up several fan clubs on Facebook.

The Willie Apiata Appreciation Society, with over 1300 members, includes a number of female admirers as impressed with Apiata's rugged good looks as well as his courage under fire.

"There's something serious sexy about this picture!," Claire Greenwood wrote about the controversial photograph of an armed Apiata emerging from a firefight at Kabul in January.

Justine Healey-coates wrote: "Bit of a hottie!!!!!!!!!!"

Wendy Hynes wrote: "Wished Willie had jumped out of the helicopter at the [Wellington] Sevens instead of more pink dancing chicks."

Use of the image, taken by a European photographer, raised questions about the wisdom of identifying SAS troops in Afghanistan.

But the 400-plus members of another Facebook site called "Nevermind Chuck Norris. We got Willie Apiata" celebrates the New Zealander's exploits in the war-torn country.

The site's blurb states: "Chuck Norris?... Chuck ain't got s**t on ol' Willie."

Norris was a world professional middleweight karate champion for six straight years before becoming an action movie and TV star.

Apiata was awarded his VC in 2007 for his extreme bravery in a battle with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan three years earlier.

The Kiwis were attacked by about 20 Taliban as they slept near their parked vehicles. One of the soldiers, referred to as Corporal D, was critically injured.

Apiata's award citation read: "In total disregard to his own safety, Lance Corporal Apiata stood up and lifted his comrade bodily.

"He then carried him across the 70 metres of broken, rocky and fire swept ground, fully exposed to the glare of battle to heavy enemy fire and into the face of returning fire from the main troop position.

"That neither he nor his colleague were hit is scarcely possible.

"Having delivered his wounded companion to relative shelter with the remainder of the patrol, Lance Corporal Apiata re-armed himself and rejoined the fight in counter-attack."

Apiata was the 21st New Zealander to be awarded the Commonwealth's highest award for gallantry and bravery. But he said: "I was only doing my job and looking after my mates."

- © Fairfax NZ News