At almost 98 years of age, OAM recipient Lawrie Larmer says while he "doesn't go dancing every night," he still has a lot to offer the community.
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The former St Patrick's College boy, who flew nine bomber missions over Europe during the Second World War and later sought to reconcile his war service with the horror of conflict by writing to the representatives of the cities he bombed to express his regret, retains his acuity and loves to head to the Flemington races.
Mr Larmer's Order of Australia Medal is in recognition of his years of community work across a variety of roles, including his work with his alma mater St Patrick's College, Ballarat, the Australian Hotels Association, the Don Bosco Brunswick Foundation, The St Vincent de Paul Volunteer Committee, and the Christian Brothers Foundation.
FROM 2017: The futility of war - a bomber pilot's story
In business, Mr Larmer was a member of the Sydney Road Development Committee and the Sydney Road Traders Association.
He has been awarded the Legion d'Honneur and the Bomber Command Class Medal.
In 2015 Mr Larmer wrote a letter to the mayors of the cities he bombed: Dortmund, Homburg, Hagen, Boizenburg, Heligoland, Wangerooge, Beyreuth, Wuppertal and Travemunde.
"I cannot recall the military reason for the raid and I make no apologies for it," he wrote, "but I deeply and truly regret we were responsible for the deaths and injuries of so many innocent civilians."
Their generous and moving replies have led Mr Larmer to a deeper consideration of the nature of conflict.
"The world hasn't learnt. We're still going to war. I feel strongly about it because I saw what happens to people, and it doesn't stop."
On receiving the OAM, Mr Larmer said it's hard to believe his life has been so full.
"I'm very grateful for everything that's happened," Mr Larmer said.
"The war was only a small part of what has happened. I feel this award is for the community things which I did, but it was not expected."
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