Athlone-based Senator, Gabrielle McFadden, has urged Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, to recognise each of the Jadotville soldiers on an individual basis.
Her call came during a Seanad debate on defence matters and is an issue upon which she has been working for a number of years.
“I appeal to the Minister to award an individual citation and a medal to each of the soldiers of A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion who were involved in the Siege of Jadotville,” she said.
“While the unit citation was a recognition of their collective heroism and professional performance, I believe that each of them deserves individual acknowledgement.”
In September 2016 on the 55th anniversary of the siege of Jadotville, a unit citation to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of A Company was presented at a special ceremony in Custume Barracks, Athlone. During the ceremony a copy of the citation was presented to each member of the unit or next of kin in the case of deceased members.
This was the first time a unit citation was awarded within the Defence Forces, but Senator McFadden believes that each member also deserves individual acknowledgement and has written to the Minister, as well as raising it in the Seanad to urge him to progress the issue.
