Set on stone: Bill Banks, Max Evans and Neil Mannix with the plaque to be unveiled this weekend. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 55948
Kim Waters
THE REGION’S “overlooked” servicemen will earn rare recognition with a plaque unveiling at Drysdale this weekend, according to their regional leader.
Geelong and District’s National Servicemen’s Association of Australia Geelong branch president Max Evans said the plaque was “a long time coming” for the ex-soldiers, many of whom were made unwelcome after returning from their duties.
“A lot of people were against us,” Mr Evans said.
“When we came back from training or from fighting we weren’t welcome in most of the RSLs and it’s only in the past few years that it has changed.”
The Australian Government conscripted national servicemen to military service from 1964 until 1972. The Government sent many of the conscripts, called Nashos, to fight in Vietnam.
Mr Evans said the only other plaque in the region recognising the Nashos was in Geelong’s RSL.
The plaque to be unveiled on the weekend would honour servicemen from Bellarine Peninsula, he said.
“A lot of these men served in Vietnam or in Borneo and it’s really important to recognise the sacrifice they made, which hasn’t happened in the past.
“The community used to hang a bit of muck on us and say we’d gone for a holiday.
“In the old days national servicemen weren’t recognised like other soldiers who fought in the world wars, and it’s taken a long time to change that, so this is really special.”
Mr Evans said the plaque would also recognise 212 Nashos who died fighting for their country.
“These men were part of compulsory conscription and a lot of them were just kids. They were chosen under a government ballot system and 99.9 per cent of the community were against them going.
“Unfortunately, these days people don’t know much about the sacrifice these men made and this plaque will hopefully raise a bit more awareness as well as recognising their supreme sacrifice.”
