But, they had a significant impact in that time with many of them losing their lives during the Vietnam War.

A service took place at the Muswellbrook War Memorial on Saturday, with the local RSL sub-branch and Upper Hunter Nashos coming together to commemorate the fallen soldiers.

Vice-president, treasurer, acting secretary and acting president of the local group, Ray Cannon, said the day was very meaningful for everyone involved.

“It means a lot to the Nashos,” he explained.

“Even though I never went to war, there’s a lot of them who did and we still trained to do the fighting.

“I was lucky to miss out.

“We only have a few of us who went to Vietnam for the war, but we think we should honour the National Service.”

He emphasised the importance of paying respects to those who fought and even those who never took to the frontline but were ripped away from home to become soldiers.

“I think that if we don’t remember them, then what are we going to remember?” he said.

“We don’t want to glorify war or anything like that.

“I hate war and I think if we could get a world without war it would be a very peaceful place.

“I remember when I was there [at training], we had a bloke from Cessnock who cried every night for his mother.

“He was just 18 years old and that’s how it was back in those days.”

This was the 20th annual deceased Nashos’ Memorial Day, with the event officially being on Valentine’s Day, although the ceremony is always held on a weekend.

Mr Cannon is hopeful the tradition will live on for a long time, especially if others take up the responsibility of paying respect to the memory of the Nashos and their families.