Sam proves to be a medal grandson

Sam Cowie with the medals he collected on behalf of his grandad, William McKeon.

PROUD schoolboy Sam Cowie joined war veterans to collect a medal on behalf of the grandad he never knew.

The seven-year-old stood alongside dozens of Borneo veterans to receive the honour, given posthumously to his grandfather, Sgt William McKeon.

Sgt McKeon was in combat in Borneo with the 1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry more than 40 years ago.

His daughter, Michele Cowie, Sam's mum, said the Sunderland soldier had died in 1991, aged 54, many years before his only grandchild was born.
She said the medal ceremony was a moving occasion and the family was all very proud.

Michele, 41, from South Bents, said her son had always been fascinated by stories about his grandfather and is upset that he never got to meet him.

She said: "Doctors think that the bug he picked up while serving in the jungle affected his lungs and blood and contributed to his death."

Young Sam lined up with dozens of Borneo veterans at a ceremony in Shotton to receive their medals in recognition of service.

Colonel Tarji Alwi, from the Malaysia High Commission, was visiting East Durham to honour Private Thomas Griffiths, 21, who was the last Durham Light Infantryman to die in combat.

Pte Griffiths, from Shotton Colliery, was serving in Borneo when he was killed in a mortar attack on February 26, 1966, just two weeks after his 21st birthday. After a special church service and the unveiling of a plaque to Pte Griffiths, Col

Alwi meet with his comrades, and Michele, who went to the service with Sam, her husband, Anthony, and her mum, Ann, said it was a very moving occasion.

Michele, a teacher at St Benet's Primary School, in Fulwell, where Sam is a pupil, said: "It was lovely.

"There were about 80 other soldiers there collecting their medals and they were coming up to Sam and shaking his hand. They had a lot of stories to tell him about my dad and he was over the moon about it.
"It was a moving day. We were all very proud."

Michele said the Borneo campaign is only now being recognised by the British Government as a war, but the soldiers are still not allowed to wear their medals for it.

Pte Griffiths' family fought for 41 years to get his name included on the war memorial in his home village and feel the unveiling of the marble plaque finally gives him his rightful place on the roll of honour.