COOMA's Joy Dawkins has been wearing her late fathers WWI medals in Anzac day marches for years but will be able to don her own for the first time this year thanks to a presentation in Queanbeyan yesterday.
Member for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly presented the medals to Mrs Dawkins for her years of service to the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corp (RAANC).
Mrs Dawkins joined the Army Reserve unit at the tender age of 18 and gave 12 years service.
"I always wanted to be a nurse, but because I left school before the required age this was the next best thing," said Mrs Dawkins.
Although Mrs Dawkins never became a qualified nurse her time in the Army Reserves instilled in her a number of valuable skills that would never be forgotten.
"I learnt about caring for people and respect," she said.
Mrs Dawkins helped prepare the young men conscripted for Vietnam performing medical checks and just being there for them to talk.
"They'd ask you questions, like "will I ever come home?'," she said.
"I'd always say, I can't answer that."
Mrs Dawkins rose quickly through the ranks to become Sargent.
"I was also a drill instructor and first aid instructor," she said.
"Women did a lot in war time but I did it for so long because I enjoyed doing it for the country."
Mrs Dawkins recalls marching in parades at Singleton in her grey and marone nurses uniform.
"All the arms used to line up and it was really beautiful to watch," she said.
"Now if I watch an Anzac day parade I cry I'm so proud."