Stones of service

Memorial stones have been erected at the Pakenham cenotaph to honour Australian servicemen post World War II. Picture: ALANA MITCHELSON.

By Alana Mitchelson

A SPECIAL ceremony will take place on Sunday morning to unveil memorial stones in honour of Australian service personnel.
Pakenham RSL plans to erect seven stones beside the Pakenham cenotaph over two stages in recognition of those who have served or fought overseas since World War II.
The first three stones represent the Korea, Malaya and Indonesia (Far East Strategic Reserve), and Vietnam wars, while the remainder expect to be installed by late next year to honour those who served in peace keeping efforts in Somalia, East Timor and Iran, and in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The line of stones will serve as a commemorative walk for service personnel, their families and the general public to pay their respects.
The unveiling ceremony will take place at 11.30am on Sunday 28 August at the Pakenham cenotaph, with guest speaker military historian Marcus Fielding and speeches from Australian war veterans from each of the three conflicts.
Lunch and refreshments will be served following the ceremony at the Pakenham RSL Hall, corner James Street and Snodgrass Street, Pakenham.