An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 51 Mick expressed his gratitude to Wexford County Council and local agencies for facili- tating the memo- rial's move to the new park, which is due to open in March. Members of Posts 3 and 31 will provide a ceremonial element at the opening, but the rededication of the memorial won't take place until IUNVA's annual Remem- brance Day, in August. They also plan to erect a plaque with the names of deceased members of both posts. I asked our hosts for a brief description of their military careers. Peter Nolan (Secretary and Welfare Officer Post 3) enlisted in 1972 and served until 2006 (34 years and 92 days' service). His units in- cluded 2 Hosp Coy and 2 Fd Med Coy, where he was the medical training and admin sergeant. He completed six tours in Lebanon and served with 2 Tpt Coy, UNOSOM II, in Somalia. Patrick Cody served from 1963 to 1966 with 1 ACS in the Curragh, and travelled overseas with 38 Inf Bn (Congo) and 40 Inf Bn (Cyprus). Charlie Raleigh joined 5 Inf Bn in 1961, served for three years, and rejoined and completed an- other three years in 1971. He served with 36 and 38 Inf Bns in the Congo as an infantry rifleman and remembers receiving his brand new FN FAL 7.62mm rifle. Michael Keegan served for three years with 2 Cav Sqn from 1969, serving overseas with 20 Inf Gp in Cyprus. Ten years later he rejoined and served overseas again, with 51 Inf Bn in Lebanon, during which he experienced the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the murders of three of his colleagues by Michael McAleavey at Tibnin Bridge. Shay Byrne enlisted in 1968 and served for 31 years, starting with 5 Inf Bn, then AHQ Sigs and later in the Glen of Imaal as part of the camp staff. He served as Rations CQ with 46 Inf Bn in Lebanon, a challenging trip that included the Smallhorne and Barrett tragedy. Willie Gilbert served for 25 years from 1963 until 1988, starting in 2 Fd Sigs and then moving to 5 Inf Bn before being promoted to sergeant major in 2 Inf Bn at the age of 36 – a great achievement. He served over- seas with 3, 10, and 20 Inf Gps in Cyprus and 57 Inf Bn in Lebanon. He fondly recalls the great camaraderie and esprit de corps of his days in the Defence Forces. Michael O'Neill served with 1 ACS from 1961 to 1987, breaking his service for around nine months in 1968 before reenlisting. He was Cook Sgt in Plunkett Bks and served overseas in Cyprus (three trips) and Lebanon (four trips). He clearly remembers driving the newly-arrived Panhard AML 60s armoured car and cooking under canvas with the M59 cooker. Joe McGrath enlisted with 5 Inf Bn in 1958 before moving to 2 Fd Sigs where he underwent a linesman's course. In July 1960 he travelled overseas with 32 Inf Bn, the first Irish contingent to serve in the Congo. He recalls how the Irish way of interacting with the local people in Goma set them apart from other white nationalities that the locals encountered. Another memory he has is one of their early warning signals that trouble was brewing. "If you looked around and saw no children out – you grabbed your gun immediately, as something was bound to happen," he told us. (With so many experiences of that crucial period in the development of the modern Defence Forces, Joe would make an excel- lent candidate for the Military Archives Oral History Project – MAOHP – to preserve his experiences for future generations.) After spending time with these guys, it was evident that they enjoy each other's company and camaraderie. They all agreed that the best part of being a member of IUNVA was the social gatherings and the reminiscing, as well as taking part in events and anniversaries. You can find out more about these Wex- ford posts and the rest of IUNVA on www.iunva.ie. I R I S H U . N . V ET E R A N S A S S O C . UN Veterans from IUNVA Post 3 and 31 stands beside the new memorial with Vinegar Hill in the background. Mick O'Neill, Chairman of Post 31, and the driving force behind the memorial explains the roll of honour of deceased members of the Defence Forces. CSM Martin Doyle is buried in Grangegorman Military Cemetery in Dublin. Photo Stephen Callaghan/Flickr

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