Private Billy Kedian made sure 11 of his colleagues successfully got into the safety of bunkers when his post came under fire n South Lebanon in 1999.
Questions are being asked about why the State will not honour an Irish soldier who died heroically saving 11 of his comrades in Lebanon while another hero buried less than 100 metres from him has been honoured by the US.
A special ceremony will be held in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, on Saturday for Private Billy Kedian to honour the young man killed while serving with the UN in South Lebanon in 1999.
When his post came under fire, with total disregard for his own safety, Private Kedian, aged 20, made sure 11 of his colleagues successfully got into the safety of bunkers. Moments later he was killed by shrapnel from an 81mm mortar round.
The organisers of the commemoration are extremely disappointed that to date the private has not been honoured, despite a number of requests to military management and the Department of Defence.
Mayo County Council passed a motion last year to fund the erection of a commemorative plaque in Kedian’s honour. It will be unveiled at the ceremony, attended by his family and many of his Defence Forces former comrades.
Nearby is the grave of Patrick Gallagher, another town native given a gallantry medal by the US after jumping on a grenade to save the lives of two of his comrades while fighting with the Marines in Vietnam.
Miraculously it didn’t explode but he later died in that conflict and the Americans have just honoured his heroism again by naming their latest warship after him.
Yet Private Kedian hasn’t ever received any posthumous recognition from the Irish State, primarily because of a military rule here which states a citation for medal honours must be lodged no more than two years after an act of heroism.
Organising committee spokesman former Sergeant Major Seamus Gannon, a colleague of the young private, said the archaic military law is being used to deny the late soldier the honour which should be awarded for his "selfless and exceptional bravery."
Mt Gannon and other supporters of Kedian’s cause point out the Oireachtas Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence, chaired by Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan, has recommended the two-year limit be scrapped.
However, pleadings made to the Minister for Defence and his department have to date yielded no positive results for Kedian’s family and supporters.
His former company commander and colleagues from his unit made a recommendation for the posthumous award of an Bonn Míleata Calmachta (Military Medal for Gallantry).
“It's our contention any such case submitted for review should be considered by a Military Board and not discarded based on a timeline provision for submission restricted to two years,” Mr Gannon said. “Judge the merits or otherwise of the actual act as they do in other nations,” he added.
The Department of Defence said Tánaiste and Minister, Micheál Martin, supports the commemoration but can’t attend due to a longstanding international engagement in Africa.
It added: "In relation to formal recognition by the State, the Defence Forces have undertaken a review of the process around awarding medals including matters pertaining to posthumous medals. Given the sensitive nature around such matters, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."