A ceremony was held today in Sydney to mark the official commissioning of the HMAS Canberra, with Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Prime Minister Tony Abbott in attendance.
Also there was 92-year-old Henry Hall, who served on the Royal Australian Navy's first HMAS Canberra, which sank in a surprise attack in 1942.
"There was shrapnel flying all over the place fires all over the ship blokes being killed dying and when you are 20 it's a lot to take on all at once," he said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to the past.
"The 84 who died aboard the gallant HMAS Canberra in the 1942 battle of Savo Island remind us that we owe our freedom to the courage of those who serve under our flag," he said.
The newest Canberra is the Navy's largest and most expensive warship ever and its size gives it the capability to support land, sea, and air missions.
The $1.5 billion dollar Spanish-made vessel is also the most technologically advanced.
Its crew spent the past year and a half training on simulators.
While many looked forward to what this ship can do, Harry Hall couldn't help reflecting on the past.
"It was a sad day for us and for the Navy but today makes in some way it makes up for that," he said.
A day the Navy veteran said he never thought he would see.
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