An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir October 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 20 | By CQMS gER O'COnnOR (RDF RETD) O n Monday 24th of July 2017 at the council offices in Athlone, Westmeath County Council honoured Defence Forces veterans who served in the Siege of Jadotville by presenting them with scrolls of recognition. The council's full monthly meeting was relocated from Mullingar for the day to accommodate the veterans and their families. Cathaoirleach Mr John Shaw and CEO of Westmeath Co Council, Mr Pat Gallagher, were both in attendance and after a short speech by Mr Shaw the presentations began as the recipients, or their representatives, were called up individually to re- ceive their Scroll of Recogni- tion from the council. After the presentations Mr Shaw asked former soldier and author of The Siege at Jadotville, Declan Power, to speak on behalf of the veterans and inform the at- tendance of the position, as he knew it, on future medals being presented. Declan thanked West- meath County Council for their gesture and praised the General Staff for their brave decision to propose to government the awarding of a medal to the Jadotville veterans. A massive round of applause from the 250 people in attendance in the full gallery and the main floor of the chamber welcomed this statement. Declan urged local Oireach- tas representatives to return to Dail Éireann and push for these medals to be awarded before any more of the vet- erans pass away. Declan singled out Jadot- ville veterans Tom Gunn, for his help with the book, and John Gorman, for his tire- less work on behalf of his comrades in bringing the story to a wider audience. He also mentioned 'A' Com- pany officers Liam Donnelly and Noel Carey for their work on the submission to the chief of staff that many years ago started the cam- paign for recognition of the Jadotville action. Declan finished by informing those in at- tendance that both the US Command and General Staff College and the West Point Officer Training Acad- emy are preparing to use the Jadotville story on their syllabus to demonstrate how a company should defend a position. This is a great honour to Comdt Pat Quinlan, OC 'A' Company, 35 Inf Bn. Jadotville veteran William Keane with The Siege at Jadotville author Declan Power. Tom Gunn, Declan Power, Mrs Maura Power, Tony Power and John Gorman. Jadotville veterans William Keane, Tom Gunn and James Scally. Comdt Pat Quinlan ( far left) poses with soldiers of 'A' Coy, 35 Inf Bn, in Elisabethville, prior to their deployment to Jadotville. Photo: Courtesy of Leo Quinlan Irish soldiers relaxing in a foxhole in Jadotville. Photo: Military Archives

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