The United States has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister John Key to send a ceremonial Marine contingent to New Zealand next year as a way of saying "thank you" for their support during World War II.
Key confirmed he had also put the issue of a visit by a US Coastguard ship to New Zealand on the table but did not ask for a response to his invitation.
Both visits would be highly symbolic as the US and New Zealand have only recently admitted publicly that a decades-old ban on military training and exercises imposed during the Anzus bust-up had been lifted.
Key confirmed the visit after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery under blistering heat and drenching humidity.
Some estimates put the temperature at Arlington at over 43deg C and there were suggestions that spare honour guard soldiers were standing by to take the place of any in the line who fainted.
Key, who made the long walk to the tomb as a 19-gun salute was delivered, said it was "sweltering".
"I felt sorry for those Marines out there."
Key said he raised the Marines visit during a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta and the offer was immediately accepted.
"The invitation was for a ceremonial visit; that would be my expectations. We are going to see those Marine boots on the ground in New Zealand next year."
The issue of military training and exercises had not been discussed.
"We didn't discuss that issue but let's take it one step at a time. It's a way of New Zealand saying thank you for what [the Marines] did 70 years ago. It's also just another sign of the strength of the relationship we have and we will continue to make progress on."
While details of the visit were still being worked out the commemorations are likely to centre around Auckland and Wellington, where most of the Marines were based.
The Auckland anniversary of their arrival is June 12 and the Wellington anniversary two days later.
A march down Lambton Quay or Queen Street to commemorate the landings could be one possibility.
It is estimated that at any one time between June 1942 and mid-1944 there were between 15,000 AND 45,000 US servicemen in New Zealand.
Their arrival - necessitated by the large number of New Zealand armed forces serving in Europe when Japan entered the war - became known as the American invasion.
It also launched a minor economic boom, while after the war as many as 1500 "war brides" left for the United States.
US DEBT CRISIS DERAILS MEETINGS
Earlier, Key had meetings with Obama administration officials including Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner, Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano and US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
However, with Washington lawmakers still negotiating fiercely to reach agreement on the US debt ceiling, Key's meeting with senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and senate majority leader Harry Reid was called off.
Key however met with former US presidential hopeful Senator John Kerry.
Following his meeting with Key, Kerry revealed a recent trip to New Zealand while chatting with media - his son-in-law spent a month there and he joined him for a trip around the country.
Kerry escorted Key to the floor of the senate - a rare privilege which saw the senate go briefly into recess.
Those who met Key included another one-time presidential candidate, Republican senator John McCain.
The debt crisis has dominated the headlines on Key's tour of the US but the topic on everyone's lips was the sweltering heat wave, which threatened to push temperatures above 40 degrees tomorrow, when Key is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama.
