Chas, a little anecdote that I hope will make you smile. As a teenager I spoke to an old soldier, a POW who worked on the Burma railway. Having watched 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', and subsequently read about the terrible conditions those men suffered at the hands of the Japanese, I listened, fascinated.
Knowing that many had died of starvation, when he finished his story I said naively, 'Did they feed you?'
'Of course they fed me' he said, laughing. 'I'd be dead now if they hadn't!'
How I admired his resilience - and his ability to retain a sense of humour. Those men deserve our greatest respect. I doubt we'll ever see their like again. Your grandson should wear those medals with the utmost pride. :o)