By CASEY NEILL
A MEMORIAL service in Berwick will honour the men called up to serve their country during desperate times.
The National Servicemen’s Association of Australia (Victoria) South-East Sub-Branch in November 2006 erected in Buchanan Park a plaque dedicated to the Nashos who served in the navy, army and air force between 1951 and 1972.
In particular, it pays tribute to the 212 who paid the supreme sacrifice during active service in Borneo and Vietnam.
The group each year holds a memorial service at the plaque and the event will this year take place from 10.45am on Sunday 11 October.
The one-hour service will include a volley from re-enactment group The Great War Association and a wreath-laying ceremony.
The National Servicemen’s Association of Australian represents the 287,000 young men the government called up for service during two conscription schemes.
About 227,000 were called up between 1951 and 1959, during the Korean War, and were intended to form the 3rd Australian Imperial Force (AIF), but hostilities ceased and they were not needed.
Navy and air force National Servicemen aged 18 did six months’ full-time training while army National Servicemen served three month’s full-time and then the balance part-time in the Citizens Military Forces.
These National Servicemen remained in their respective Reserves for another five years.
Between 1965 and 1972, National Servicemen aged 20 were called up for two years’ full-time service to the army during the wars in Borneo and Vietnam.
Of the 64,000 called up, 19,500 served in Borneo and Vietnam and the remainder were in support units in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Another 35,000 served for six years in the Citizen Military Forces (CMF).
Buchanan Park is in Clyde Road, Berwick, next to Monash University.
