Like thousands of other Australians, Tony Winter didn't get to choose to join the army.
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In January 1957, at age 19, Tony became part of the second wave of national servicemen - conscripted to train for the war in Korea.
Some 70 years later, he remembers the experience being "brilliant"!
"Bring it back!"
"We had to sign that we were prepared to be drafted to a reinforcement battalion [to reinforce the Australian army fighting in Korea] if needed, but that didn't happen - unfortunately," he said.
"We would have all liked to have gone."
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It's the opposite to the popular view in Vietnam-era history books and songs like the Redgum classic 'I was Only 19'.
But some seven decades after completing mandatory military training, Tamworth's Nashos organisation are finally publishing their side of the story.
The volume tells a story of an experience that was full of comradery, life lessons, new skills and just plain fun.
Anette Winter, who edited the book, said they wanted the coffee table book finished for the 25th birthday of the Tamworth's Nashos group, this Wednesday.
It dawned on them how much information, photos and memories members had to hand when they published a small pamphlet for an earlier event.
"We quickly saw, with the number of photos and stories that were coming in, this is a really good opportunity to compile the history," Anette said.
"Because they were all ageing.
"And compile it before it's lost."
There were two national service intakes.
The Australian government introduced the draft in 1951 to require 18-year-olds were required to undertake 176 days of military training, mostly in the Citizen's Military Force (CMF), similar to today's Army Reserve. The draft was ended in 1959.
The draft was reintroduced in 1964 to reinforce units for the Vietnam War, requiring 20-year-olds to serve in the regular army for two years and then the CMF for another three. A televised ballot of birthdate determined which specific individuals would be called up.
From 1966, about 15,300 national servicemen served in Vietnam, where about 200 were killed and 1,279 wounded.
Mr Winter said his views on the draft have shifted wildly in the last 50 years.
He said he now believes he would have missed out on a great deal in life and wouldn't have gained life skills, a story told in the book.
"We all tell our story of what it was like to be in the military," Mr Winter said.
"Some of us had boring times, some of us had a great time.
"The stories that the guys tell are just about what it was like to be there and what they achieved."
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