Puckane man receives Jadotville medal
Puckane native John Foley was one of 49 veterans of the UN Congo mission to receive the 'Bonn Jadotville' medal at a recent ceremony in Athlone.
Retired Company Quarter Master Sergeant with the Irish Defence Forces, John was a young corporal in No 3 Platoon of 'A' Company when he served in the Congo. He was one of several local men deployed to the warn-torn African nation in the 1960s.
On Saturday December 2nd, the surviving veterans of the Battle of Jadotville, which occurred at Katanga, Belgian Congo, from September 13th to 17th 1961, were honoured with the presentation of a specially commissioned medal. Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe and Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Vice Admiral Mark Mellet presented the medals.
The medal is known as 'An Bonn Jadotville'. It comes after 56 years of hard slogging and persistent, dedicated efforts by a group that included Captain William Donnelly (RIP), Lt Noel Carey and Cmdt Leo Quinlan, along with veteran John Gorman, who spent 18 years not taking 'No' for an answer. Finally, John's supreme efforts have matured in the medal becoming a reality.
Sadly, of the 157 Irish soldiers of 'A' Company, 35th Battalion, who served in the Congo in 1961, only 49 survive. The remainder have gone to their eternal reward, including the Company Commander, Cmdt Patrick Quinlan. However, the families of those who have died since 1961 received An Bonn Jadotville in memory of their loved ones.
“I, and 48 others, as survivors felt immensely proud to be presented with An Bonn Jadotville,” John said after the ceremony. “Proud for my own family and extended family.
“There are a number of Nenagh and district men who served in the Congo from 1960 to 1964. I would like to share this honour with them, and especially Liam Gaffney, Cloughjordan, who served with the 35th Battalion also.
“Michael Power, Jim Hough of Borrisokane and Jim's late brother Fr Tom Hough, as well as Martin Corrigan, Tommy Nagle, Joe Mitchell, Tony Foran, Billy McGrath, John Grace (Ballinahinch), John Glennon (Wilton, Ballymackey) and Ned Fox (Luska), all served with different battalions in the Congo.
“I'm sure there are others, whose names do not come to me just now,” John said. “Those veterans, some now deceased, gave loyal and dedicated service to their country's flag and that of the United Nations.”
John served 30 years in the Defence Forces and 10 years in the First Line and Second Line Reserve. He did two tours in the Congo.
He was also three times in Lebanon with his sons John and Liam in 1989/90. This was a first for the Defence Forces – father and two sons on the same mission.
John recounted many of his own experiences of the Congo in a book he wrote under the name Seán Ó Foghlú. Titled 'No White Feather', the book was published in 2011 by Book Republic.