A WOMAN who visits her husband in an Oxfordshire care home every day says she is "incredibly proud" he has received a Korean peace medal after a wait of more than 60 years.

June Ord's husband James – or 'Jim' – who fought in the Korean War during the 1950s, was finally honoured last week with an Ambassador for Peace medal from the British Korean Veterans Association.

The presentation adds to his collection from a military career across the globe that began when he was 19.

Mrs Ord, from Marcham, has visited her husband, 83, who shows symptoms of dementia, every day for the past five years. She said the medal presentation was very special.

She added: "I am very proud of my husband for all of the medals he has received and it was an honour for him to be presented with this Korean peace medal.

"He's just like all of those soldiers from the old wars. He has never spoken about fighting and what it was like to be in Korea because it's not the done thing.

"From what he has told me, I know it was horrendous. It was a hard, harsh and cold war and the troops were completely outnumbered.

"It's strange the things he remembers because I asked him what is was like to receive his peace medal the other day and he looked at me blankly, but when I asked him about Korea he said it was damn cold".

Mrs Ord has been married to colour sergeant Ord for 58 years, in which time he served in Hong Kong, Malaya, Jordan, Kuwait and Borneo after signing up for active army service in 1950.

After more than 20 years in the armed forces, Mr Ord returned to Oxfordshire in the 1970s, where he served as a police constable at the atomic energy constabulary in Harwell.

Mrs Ord said: "When I look back on everything my husband has achieved I'm overwhelmed by how proud of him I am.

"I visit him every day because he's my Jim and he's always been an incredible husband, a brilliant father and an amazing grampy.

"He still knows who I am when I visit and sometimes when I sit with him I even get the old Jim back and he'll laugh and joke with me like he used to before.

"Other times he can't remember things or gets our children's names mixed up. But he's still a character and is an incorrigible flirt with some of the staff, like he used to be when we were younger.

"He's always been a very special man and still is."

Employees of the Sanctuary nursing home in Wantage said it was an honour to witness Mr Ord, a father-of-four and grandfather-of-five, being presented with the award and they were fascinated by his impressive military history.

Activities manager Wendy Pill said: "It was great to see him presented with the award, and very touching at times too.

"June has spoken to us over the years about her husband's history and what he has done is absolutely amazing."