Community & Business
19 June, 2026
Service medals presented to Eddie
Last week, 90-years-old Eddie Fuhlbohm received two medals for his time spent in National Service thanks to the persistence and dedication of the local members of the Returned Services League (R.S.L.).
Edwin George Fulhbohm (known by many as Eddie) became a Nasho in 1954 when he was 18 years old.
He served for two years, completing a 13 weeks stint at Wacol and then moved to the Greenbank Army Camp.
In the Pittsworth R.S.L. Sub-branch rooms last Friday, after more than 70 years, Eddie received his Anniversary of National Service 1951-1972 Medal and the Australian Defence Force Medal.
The Anniversary of National Service 1951-1972 Medal recognises those who completed their obligation under the two National Service schemes that had operated in Australia between 1951 and 1972.
The Australian Defence Force Medal recognises Australian Defence Force personnel who have enlisted for an indefinite period and rendered 4 years qualifying service; enlisted for a fixed period and completed the specified period of enlistment, or a period of 4 years, whichever is the lesser.
Neville Cullen, the Vice President of the Pittsworth R.S.L. Sub-branch, worked with Defence Honours and Awards to ascertain the medals on Eddie’s behalf.
On his Record of Service Card (which actually misspelt his surname as Fullbohm) Eddie reported for full time military training on 18th August 1954.
He completed 95 days of that training on 20th November in 1954, and completed his total military training liability on 16th March in 1956.
Eddie said being in National Service was an education for him as a young lad, and an experience that did him a world of good.
Those who know Eddie will already be aware that tells a good story, and he shared this particular one last Friday about his time as a Nasho.
As tradition had it, when an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) was finishing up, the recruits would throw him into the waterhole at the bottom of the camp.
One particular NCO was approachable and easy to talk to but he was also an imposing figure at close to seven feet tall.
The seven recruits devised a plan, claiming that someone had fallen into the waterhole in an effort to lure the NCO down to the creek.
Eddie didn’t witness what happened next but the result left little to the imagination, when the NCO returned to camp dry as a bone with seven soaking wet recruits.
