My father was a war hero in a necessary war against Germany and Hitler. A real hero, not one of those gong seekers with fruit salad on their chest, scrambled egg on their caps and letters after their name but who never saw a day of battle. He was decorated by "Monty" himself for extreme bravery in action.

He is also a committed pacifist with a hatred of war that I have always known and in some cases had to reluctantly tolerate. One Christmas, when other kids had a Santa on their front lawn, our house had a peace sign. Good for us, although I wasn't quite so convinced at the time.

He is also a fierce defender of today's military men and women and their devotion to duty.

Are these attitudes compatible? Can a man who hates war also respect the people without which war couldn't happen?

The answer is yes. And that's why today is a good day for those who respect those men and women who respond to the call of duty and who do our dirty work for us. Some of them pay a high price for it. The British government today announced that it will double the compensation offered to the UK's most gravely wounded troops.

It's not enough but it's a start. The way returning British servicemen are still treated is astonishingly wrong.

Someone once said: "The older I get, the wiser my father becomes". He was right. (but no one's told my own kids yet)