Honour Congo heroes
Sir
Jerome Reilly's article on the Congo in which former trooper Tom Kenny denies that trooper Anthony Browne had laid down his life to save him is absolutely astonishing. It is a terrible pity that Tom Kenny did not come forward years ago to put the record straight and say that the official version given out by the Army authorities was untrue. I have spent many years campaigning to have the rest of the Niemba victims awarded a special medal even to honour their outstanding bravery on that fatal day. If the official version given by the Army authorities is not true as Tom Kenny states, then the good name of the Irish soldiers has been severely damaged and sullied. Irish soldiers fought gallantly in both World Wars. The Government and the Department of Defence made a low-key presentation of medals in Collins Barracks in 1998 to the families of the dead victims, thereby giving the impression that at last those who died in the Niemba Ambush have now been honoured. This was not the case. The medals presented in 1998, were presented to all Irish soldiers who died while on duty on overseas service with the UN and the Niemba Ambush victims just happened to be among them. This act of deceit can only damage further the good name of the Defence Forces as well as insulting the memory of those brave men. All nine victims must be honoured in a special way.
Jerome Reilly's article on the Congo in which former trooper Tom Kenny denies that trooper Anthony Browne had laid down his life to save him is absolutely astonishing. It is a terrible pity that Tom Kenny did not come forward years ago to put the record straight and say that the official version given out by the Army authorities was untrue. I have spent many years campaigning to have the rest of the Niemba victims awarded a special medal even to honour their outstanding bravery on that fatal day. If the official version given by the Army authorities is not true as Tom Kenny states, then the good name of the Irish soldiers has been severely damaged and sullied. Irish soldiers fought gallantly in both World Wars. The Government and the Department of Defence made a low-key presentation of medals in Collins Barracks in 1998 to the families of the dead victims, thereby giving the impression that at last those who died in the Niemba Ambush have now been honoured. This was not the case. The medals presented in 1998, were presented to all Irish soldiers who died while on duty on overseas service with the UN and the Niemba Ambush victims just happened to be among them. This act of deceit can only damage further the good name of the Defence Forces as well as insulting the memory of those brave men. All nine victims must be honoured in a special way.
John Bowe, Ballinteer.
- US election diary by Orla Healy
