Albury's annual honouring of national servicemen on Sunday will be the first since Border members formed a new group that better reflected their focus.
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After 25 years connected to National Servicemen's Association of Australia, the Albury-Wodonga sub branch has become an independent body named Murray Border Nashos Inc.
Treasurer Reg Considine said the decision came in response to members ageing and being less able to help with fundraising and attend association events held in Melbourne.
"We said, well, what do we do, do we wait until we all drop or do we try and find another way around the problem," he said.
The solution lay in being able to continue Border activities like the service at the Young Street memorial garden and participating in Anzac Day parades.
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"We've been doing that for years successfully and we can still do it without the need to travel to a capital city to do it," Mr Considine said.
"After all, we're all local blokes. We're there to offer a welcoming and supportive group for all Nashos, that's the way it is.
"We're all supportive and grateful to be with each other for as long as we can."
Sunday's service begins at 10am and will comply with NSW COVID regulations such as signing in, entry and exit points and seating arrangements
More than 280,000 men took part in two periods of compulsory national service between 1951-1959 and 1964-1972.
Veterans Affairs' Minister Darren Chester said National Servicemen's Day was a time to remember and says thanks for their sacrifice.
"Australia's national servicemen, affectionately known as Nashos, played a unique and invaluable role in serving our country," Mr Chester said.
"Of those called to serve, more than 15,000 served in the Vietnam War, where some 200 lost their lives and more than 1200 were wounded. Two national servicemen also died while serving in Borneo in 1966."
Mr Considine said he and the other Nashos "probably didn't think we were doing anything wonderful at the time".
"But in the end everybody that I know came out, they served well, discharged honourably at the end of two years, and they did serve their nation for what was required at the time," he said.
