Irish veterans proud but sadly dwindling
Bernie O'Toole
7th June 2004
The Irish Independent
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THEIR GAIT was slower and their steps more measured as they laid wreaths in memory of their fallen colleagues.
But for veterans like Dubliner Jack Johnstone (81), from Finglas, being present at the 60th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings held in Dublin yesterday "meant everything".
"I'll never forget," said the clearly emotional former Irish Guards man who landed in France a couple of days after the first wave in the largest invasion ever mounted, on June 6, 1944.
Mr Johnstone was one of the dwindling number of veterans who gathered at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge for an ecumenical remembrance service for those soldiers who never returned home.
Another was glider pilot Johnny Wetherall, who was just 19 when he was wounded in the battle for the bridge at Arnhem and who gave some indication of the enormous human toll on the soldiers - including thousands of Irishmen who fought for the Allies.
"The casualty rate at Arnheim was somewhere in the region of 70pc among the gliders, that's killing, missing, wounded and lost," he recalled.
Proud to be able to "still tell the tale" the great-grandfather of two who lives in Deansgrange, Co Dublin said that attitudes in Ireland to those who fought in the war have become far more positive in recent years.
"At one stage it was something you didn't talk about unless you were among people of similar interests, but nowadays the general public have much more interest in these things and want to know what went on and why," he said.
British Ambassador Stewart Eldon, who was among more than half a dozen foreign ambassadors to lay wreaths at the park's Great Cross, agreed that attitudes have altered to the Irish men and women who joined up with the British forces. "I think it's very good that it's now possible to recognise the contribution that's been made by Irish service to the second world war," he said.
Father Des Campion told the nearly 300 people gathered that they were there to both commemorate and commend those who lived and died in the service of others. He said that the words "We will remember them" was the ceremony's theme.
According to Pat Lynch who oversees the archives of the Royal British Legion which organised the ceremony, in conjunction with the Nation War Memorial Committee, there is now huge interest in the wars among Irish children.
Although the exact number of Irish people who died in WWII is not known, up to 100,000 from both North and South served in the Allied forces, with about 1,000 survivors and their widows now left.
No Irish Government representative were sent to any of the D-Day commemoration ceremonies in France. A Government spokesman said that the National Commemoration Day was 11 July 11, when the Government remembered the men and women who have fought in all wars.
President McAleese will arrive in Messines in Belgium today, to commemorate the First World War battle of Messines Ridge, where Irish soldiers fought in 1917.
The President will also visit the grave of John Condon from Waterford who, at the age of 14, is believed to have been the youngest person to have been killed in the Great War.
Bernie O'Toole
7th June 2004
The Irish Independent
*******************************
THEIR GAIT was slower and their steps more measured as they laid wreaths in memory of their fallen colleagues.
But for veterans like Dubliner Jack Johnstone (81), from Finglas, being present at the 60th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings held in Dublin yesterday "meant everything".
"I'll never forget," said the clearly emotional former Irish Guards man who landed in France a couple of days after the first wave in the largest invasion ever mounted, on June 6, 1944.
Mr Johnstone was one of the dwindling number of veterans who gathered at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge for an ecumenical remembrance service for those soldiers who never returned home.
Another was glider pilot Johnny Wetherall, who was just 19 when he was wounded in the battle for the bridge at Arnhem and who gave some indication of the enormous human toll on the soldiers - including thousands of Irishmen who fought for the Allies.
"The casualty rate at Arnheim was somewhere in the region of 70pc among the gliders, that's killing, missing, wounded and lost," he recalled.
Proud to be able to "still tell the tale" the great-grandfather of two who lives in Deansgrange, Co Dublin said that attitudes in Ireland to those who fought in the war have become far more positive in recent years.
"At one stage it was something you didn't talk about unless you were among people of similar interests, but nowadays the general public have much more interest in these things and want to know what went on and why," he said.
British Ambassador Stewart Eldon, who was among more than half a dozen foreign ambassadors to lay wreaths at the park's Great Cross, agreed that attitudes have altered to the Irish men and women who joined up with the British forces. "I think it's very good that it's now possible to recognise the contribution that's been made by Irish service to the second world war," he said.
Father Des Campion told the nearly 300 people gathered that they were there to both commemorate and commend those who lived and died in the service of others. He said that the words "We will remember them" was the ceremony's theme.
According to Pat Lynch who oversees the archives of the Royal British Legion which organised the ceremony, in conjunction with the Nation War Memorial Committee, there is now huge interest in the wars among Irish children.
Although the exact number of Irish people who died in WWII is not known, up to 100,000 from both North and South served in the Allied forces, with about 1,000 survivors and their widows now left.
No Irish Government representative were sent to any of the D-Day commemoration ceremonies in France. A Government spokesman said that the National Commemoration Day was 11 July 11, when the Government remembered the men and women who have fought in all wars.
President McAleese will arrive in Messines in Belgium today, to commemorate the First World War battle of Messines Ridge, where Irish soldiers fought in 1917.
The President will also visit the grave of John Condon from Waterford who, at the age of 14, is believed to have been the youngest person to have been killed in the Great War.
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