Tony Luscombe's involvement with Legacy Australia dates back to World War I.
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His father fought on the Western Front as part of the heavy trench mortars team.
After being "gassed", Mr Luscombe's dad was evacuated to England before finally making his way back home to Australia.
"He then met my mother," Mr Luscombe said.
But just before his 16th birthday, his father died.
It was then that Legacy - which provides support to the families of Australian Defence Force men and women who have lost their life or health in conflicts - stepped in to help himself, his mum and his brother.
It was around the same time that Mr Luscombe met the woman who he would eventually marry.
As it so happened, her father was a flight lieutenant who navigated during World War II. On top of that, he also became the president of Legacy South Australia.
"Not only did Legacy look after me, but I had first hand experience of what a legatee was able to provide for other Legacy wards," Mr Luscombe added.
"Legacy helped me initially when I went to university and I was in the army for 20 years and had a tour of Vietnam."
Upon leaving the army, Mr Luscombe opened a doctor's practice in south-west Sydney.
"My waiting room on occasions looked like a convention of Vietnam vets because I was able to provide some measure of support," he said.
After working there for three decades, he moved to Orange in 2008, before he retired in 2019.
But even in retirement, he still needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
So when he was offered the chance to become a legatee, he knew he'd found his purpose and now helps look after two widows in town.
"My life has come full circle," he said.
"We visit them on a regular basis, see how they're going and see if there's anything we can help out with.
"We've got a lawnmowing contractor, somebody who cleans windows and gutters. If they need any other kind of support we try and point them in the right direction."
Mr Luscombe now feels he has a definite sense of purpose and is able to "pay back" what Legacy has given to him.
"Now I have plenty of reasons to get out of bed every morning," he added.
The Legacy Centenary Torch Relay 2023 is currently making its way through NSW and the Orange leg will commence from the Botanical Gardens on Saturday, July 29. This just so also happens to be Mr Luscombe's 77th birthday.
The relay will celebrate Legacy's 100th year and will travel a distance of 7.14km through the city.
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