Husband and wife team Neville and Indiana Gard were two of 16 former armed services personnel presented with the medal at a ceremony in Kurow on Sunday.
Mr Gard said the couple met during a three-year stint in the army in 1963-66.
"We were both in the forces at the same time, based at Burnham in Christchurch.
"We got out of the army about 1966 so that's probably 45, 46 years ago."
He said that he and his wife had both volunteered for service in the Infantry Battalion and Royal Signals Corps, respectively, in the hope of finding "adventure" in Borneo or Malaysia. And although neither of them was posted overseas, their time serving their country together had a positive impact on their lives - six months after being discharged, they got married.
Mr Gard said he and his wife had originally been sent the medals in the post, and he thanked the RSA for conducting a full presentation ceremony.
The New Zealand Defence Service Medal was introduced last year to recognise military service post-1945. Upper Waitaki RSA president Michael Blackstock said Sunday's presentation snowballed into a "real community affair".
About 60 people attended the presentation. Mr Blackstock said medals were presented to residents from Kurow, Omarama and the Hakataramea Valley, all of whom had completed voluntary service, National Service or compulsory military training in New Zealand.
"It went really well; it was a great community affair. We had two defence force personnel up from Dunedin and also presenting medals was the Mayor, Alex Familton, and the RSA Southland-Otago District president John Longman."
Most of those present at the very "pertinent" ceremony served during the 1950s and '60s, he said.
