This service is in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the abolition of national service on 7 December 1972.
Between July 1965 and December 1972, 63,375 twenty-year old men were conscripted into the Australian Defence Force. Over 600 of these men would die while in service - 210 in Vietnam, and more than 400 in Australia, from various causes. This service commemorates their memory.
This service is also the first occasion on which these men have joined together as a group. It provides an opportunity for national servicemen to reflect on their period of service, the culture shock of basic training, the challenges met and overcome, mateships created and the often difficult journey back into civilian life.
Shrine Representative
- Shrine Governor Squadron Leader Peter Meehan OAM
Reviewed 19 October 2022