LATHAM — The same grit that got Nick Grinaldo through one of the bloodiest battles of World War II’s Pacific campaign hadn’t dimmed with age when he was first told several years ago that he wasn’t eligible for a certain medal. The Army veteran’s determination, and help from an employee at the state’s military museum, resulted in Grinaldo finally receiving the New York State Conspicuous Service Star from the New York National Guard on Thursday. Friends, relatives and uniformed Guard members crowded a conference room at Guard headquarters here in suburban Albany to see the retired cobbler from Troy receive...