A DISTINGUISHED career as an engineer during wartime earned Berwick stalwart James McDonald a war medal in recognition of his services to his country.
The former lieutenant colonel was one of the region's citizens to receive a war medal from La Trobe MP Jason Wood.
Also recognised were Gordon Stewart and Bill Griffin. Bill died last year, but his medal was accepted by his son Farley.
Mr McDonald says the Australian Defence Medal were intended for all people who served for four years or longer and had not received recognition in some form.
"It is a great gesture to recognise us all," he says.
He joined the army in June 1945 as an apprentice in Western Australia.
In 1950, he was selected first officer cadet to Portsea's officer cadet school and at 22 became a second lieutenant.
He served continuously in the army and in 1975 was posted around Australia, including South Australia, Victoria and Queensland before being posted to Papua New Guinea in 1961 for a year. Mr McDonald served in the construction squadron and built a road from Wewak to Maprick.
"We also upgraded a light aircraft tarmac at Vinimo as the army wanted to ensure the Fokker Friendship aircraft had the appropriate landing strip in place."
Later he spent two years in Bangkok, Thailand, instructing at a military technical school, an initiative of the Australian government, before he returned to Victoria and was based at Albert Park before he went to Vietnam for a year in 1968.
An army major at age 39, he was posted to Vietnam, where he was based in Saigon as a senior electrical and engineering officer at the Australian headquarters.
"The job was to ensure that the electrical engineering of the force met with standards. I was also adviser to the general in regards to maintenance.
"I was chuffed to get that posting as there were only two majors in that position which was regarded as one of the plum postings.
"The job was personally wearing but it wasn't dangerous. I wasn't a fox in the hole as others were."
Mr McDonald later returned to Melbourne headquarters and went to Queensland as lieutenant colonel.
In 1971, as a commanding officer, he went to England where he spent three years as part of the British Army.
Upon returning to Australia in 1975 he left the army after 30years of service. He then took up a position as executive officer and secretary of the Victorian Division of the Institute of Engineers and held that post for 13years.
The father of three children and four grandchildren said he is enjoying retirement these days. "I am enjoying activities here in Berwick and being part of the Probus Club."
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