Prince Harry has honored Ghanaian World War II veteran Private Joseph Hammond with a special gift ahead of his 100th birthday. Hammond shared on social media that he received an Invictus Games medal coin from the Duke of Sussex.
“It was a great honor to welcome the @WeAreInvictus team to Ghana, just ahead of my birthday this Saturday!” Hammond wrote.
This recognition comes as the UK marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day this week.
In return, Hammond gifted Prince Harry a copy of his memoir, thanking him for his commitment to veterans’ welfare.
The two first met in 2019 at an event hosted by the Royal Family to honor veterans from the British Commonwealth. Hammond recalled, “This man, especially, Prince Harry, I glued myself to him because he is also a soldier, he’s been to Afghanistan, and we spoke about the military, my battalion. We exchanged ideas. It was wonderful.”
Hammond served as a mechanic in Myanmar, then known as Burma, during World War II. He fought alongside British troops as part of the Commonwealth forces. The two veterans bonded over their shared military experiences, with Hammond expressing his appreciation for his connection with Prince Harry, who also served in Afghanistan.
