The service will commence at 1pm. Please note changed time.

It will be conducted in accordance with a COVID-19 plan.

All attendees will be required to sign in on arrival and adhere to social distancing rules. Any person experiencing illness is respectfully asked not to attend.

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Sub branch patron Pru Goward will deliver the commemorative address while official guests will include Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman and Wingecarribee Shire mayor Duncan Gair.

The service will also include rededication of the existing memorial which has just been repaired and upgraded by the Southern Highlands sub branch.

The Rev Jeremy Tonks, Rector of the Anglican Parish of Sutton Forest, will officiate.

National Servicemen's Day honours the 212 National Servicemen who died in active service and remembers the 1300 who were wounded. The service of all 280,000 conscripts is acknowledged and recognised.

The first universal conscription scheme (1951 to 1959) involved calling up nearly 230,000 18-year-olds for three or six months full-time training followed by service in the Reserve.

The second conscription scheme (1965 to 1972) was a selective scheme based on a birthday ballot of 20-year-olds. 800,000 young men registered, 64,000 fell victim to the marble.

The lottery winners were called up for two years full-time service. Of these, 16,000 went to Vietnam where 210 were killed and 1300 wounded in action. Two were killed in Borneo during confrontation.

2021 is a significant year for the National Servicemen's Association - it marks the 70th anniversary since the beginning of the first scheme; and also marks 20 years since the original memorial at Sutton Forest was dedicated.

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