Service and sacrifice were honoured at a brief service at the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice on Thursday afternoon when Her Excellency the Governor of South Australia the Honourable Frances Nelson laid a wreath to remember the Fallen.

The centenary of the unveiling of the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice takes place next week but Her Excellency had to decline the Millicent RSL’s invitation to the December 5 commemorative ceremony.

However, Her Excellency and her husband Rod Bunten were grateful to the Millicent RSL for arranging another event.

Prayers were offered by Millicent RSL chaplain Pastor Paul Hales, the Ode of Remembrance was recited by Cheryl Luxford Melling and the National Anthem was sung.

It was a low-key commemoration with the wider community represented by Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll and chief executive Ben Gower.

Her Excellency recalled that100 years ago, the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice was unveiled by my predecessor, then Governor Lieutenant General Sir Tom Bridges.

“Funded by public donations, the memorial honoured the 51 Millicent men who made the supreme sacrifice in World War I,” she said.

“Over time, the memorial has evolved, and honours those killed in subsequent conflicts.

“The first of these came with the addition of names of those who died in World War II.

“In 1995, a message to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II was added, and in recent years, the name of Private Dennis Nelson, who was killed in tragic circumstances in Vietnam, was added.

“These new chapters serve an acknowledgement the sacrifices made by your community extend beyond a single generation.

“Each name engraved on this memorial is a life lived, a story told, and a legacy left for us to carry forward.

“At Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services held here, these stories come to life – stories of bravery, camaraderie, and sacrifice.

“Through these stories, we forge a link between the past and the present, ensuring the sacrifices made a century ago resonate with the hearts and minds of generations yet to come.

“May the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice continue to stand tall, both as a memorial to the past, but as a beacon of hope for a future of peace.

“I thank the Wattle Range Council for diligently maintaining the beautiful grounds and the RSL for your dedicated service and mateship to our veterans.

“Lest we forget.”

Following the service, the Millicent RSL hosted a dinner at the nearby Somerset Hotel for the vice-regal party.

Meanwhile, the actual date of the unveiling of the Millicent Cross of Sacrifice is December 5, 1923 with the public invited to this commemoration which commences at 11am.

Wattle Range Council has cleaned the cross in recent weeks in readiness for these ceremonies.