An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 9 unITIng IRIsH vETERAns glOBAllY by DECLAN HUGHES T he idea for Irish Veterans grew out of the identification of Irishmen who lost their lives serving in the Vietnam War and the 1999 visit to Ireland of a replica of 'the Wall', the US memorial that honours those who died in that conflict while serving with the US military. A year or two later, several Irish veterans from the US military, who had met up during The Wall's visit, got together and decided to leave some form of lasting legacy: thus Irish Veterans was born. The organisation's first board included Irish veterans who had served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other conflict zones. The aims of Irish Veterans are to: • conduct historical research into the involvement of all Irish men and women who served in military and ancillary forces in all countries; • establish a memorial, museum, research and exhibition centre to display the information gathered and to serve as a gathering-point and educational venue for veterans from the Irish Diaspora; • establish and administer a global association; • gather and collate information and documentation from all available sources to provide an information base for researchers, students and members of the public. Irish Veterans is non-sectarian, non-denominational and has no political affiliations. Our aim is to unite all who identify themselves as Irish and who are military veterans, or who are interested in our shared history. We want to use Irish Veterans as a force for recon- ciliation and to emphasize shared military experiences. We do not seek to glorify war, but to remember and relate the Irish experience of conflict. There exists a huge national blind-spot in Irish history regarding the Irish contribution to modern conflict. We must be brave enough to address historical reality, not hide from it. We need to hear these stories to better understand ourselves. Headed up jointly by myself and James Sikora, an Irishman who saw active service in the US military, Irish Veterans is a regis- tered charity that aims to research and recognise the stories and contributions of Irish men and women and their descendants and anyone claiming Irish identity who served in the military at home or abroad. Irish Veterans hopes to establish a permanent memo- rial and research exhibition centre in Kinsale, and we are actively seeking members. A Christ- mas or New year present of member- ship would make an ideal and unique gift, as it includes a beautiful, hand- made 'membership card' in the form of an Irish Veterans plaque, crafted in the Wild Goose Studio, Kinsale. The first chapter of Irish Veterans was commissioned in Kinsale in April 2015, and named in honour of US Navy SEAL Lt Michael Murphy, who was awarded the Medal of Honour for his actions in Afghanistan in which he lost his life. Michael's parents and wider family, who all hail from the Cork region, attended the event, and were joined by US Ambas- sador Kevin O'Malley, the US Defence Attaché, representatives of the New york Fire Department, and a cast of hundreds, to honour Michael's courage and heroism. Chapters #2 and #3 are currently being formed in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This is a veteran's organisation with a difference, as our members are part of a global group of people who strongly identify with serving in the military, and having Irish roots. This is about connect- ing the Irish veterans still amongst us and honouring those who are not. James and I are appealing to people across the world with Irish connections to become involved in this unique project as a way to connect with their peers and to honour those who have gone before. Enlisting in the project couldn't be easier; simply visit www.irishveterans.org and sign up or visit us on Facebook or Twitter. Pictured at the commissioning of Irish Veterans Chapter 001 in Kinsale, was left James Sikora ( from Rosscarbery, who spent 8-years in the US Army Infantry) and Capt Duncan Smith (US Navy SEAL officer). Pictured are US Navy personnel who were present for the Commissioning ceremony, including some of the crew from the USS Michael Murphy.

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