As an 18-year-old he enlisted and fought in the Kokoda Track Campaign in Papua New Guinea during World War II.

But it was not until his wife of 66 years died in 2011 that he broke down and started to fall apart.

Mr Chard stood proudly when sharing war stories ahead of the Anzac dawn service, but shed a tear when reminiscing about his lifelong partner Betty.

When going off to the war, his father told him not to marry Betty.

“Your life is going to be ruined, don’t ruin hers too,” he told his son.

“So we didn’t marry, but when I came home the first time, we got engaged anyway.

“Then the war was over, we got married and were married for 66 years until she got cancer.

“It nearly killed me, more than anything,” he said.

Mr Chard will be recognised along with other veterans at the Anzac dawn service on Sunday at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord West where he has volunteered for the past five years.

The Track was built 21 years ago to commemorate the soldiers who fought against the Japanese in one of the hardest-fought campaigns of the war.

When he has a bad day, it is here where the World War II veteran turns — and it is here where he came after his wife Betty’s death and faced his darkest moments.

Mr Chard was just 18 years old when he enlisted in the army, following in the footsteps of his four older brothers.

It was on December 7, 1942, when his battalion was attacked at 3am and 364 soldiers were lost in 20 minutes.

The memory that has stuck with him forever was travelling down the mountains “knowing the Japanese had captured all the white ladies”.

“We got there too late,” Mr Chard said. “When we got there, they were stripped naked and they had chopped their heads off.”

Mr Chard now spends his days volunteering as a guide at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, sharing the story of Kokoda with children and the inner west community.

He knows the names of all the men honoured on the walls of the Concord memorial. Director of Memorial at Concord Hospital, Alice Kang said Mr Chard had never connected with his battalion and was a broken man following the death of his wife.

“He had heard about this memorial and came along one day,” Mrs Kang said.

“A tear caught his eye and someone gave me a call.

“I recruited him as a guide and he has been so committed to sharing his story ever since,” she said.

Even on days with no tours, he can still be seen pottering around the memorial grounds.

“I will do it until the day I die,” he said.

Supporting Mr Chard is a group of knitters who have made 3000 crochet poppies. The vibrant red poppies will fill a giant cutout of the word Anzac at Sunday’s Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway service.

They have been hand-knitted by dedicated volunteers, many from the inner west community.

Peggy Dickinson, 94, whose husband served in World War II, has been a volunteer at Concord Hospital for 18 years. She and her daughter alone knitted 900 poppies.

Gladys Lim, who has been volunteering since 1950, said it takes around 20 minutes to make each poppy.