LOOKING BACK: Thurles Army Cadets’ Graveside Honours For Late US President

Two Irish Army Cadets of over 50 years ago who drilled for the late President Kennedy in Arbour Hill, Dublin, little thought that in November 1963 they would be flown to the United States to render honours at his graveside.

They included Colonel Brian O’Reilly, son of the late Tom and Josie O’Reilly of Thurles, who sat his Leaving Cert in Thurles CBS in1962 and, who was in November 1963 a young Irish Army Cadet in the Curragh in County Kildare and Commandant Jack Dwyer, Monadreen, Thurles.

Soon after the fatal shooting of that icon of an age, the 35th President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in Dallas, members of the Cadet School at the Curragh, including Brian, who had never been on an airplane before were watching a movie when news came through of the death of Kennedy.

And pretty soon the orders were that the Cadets would go to Washington to render Military Honours at the graveside.

This was requested of the Irish Government by Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline Kennedy. In the event, the Cadets were at the grave of Kennedy in Arlington Cemetery.

And Brian, a former neighbour of mine in Fianna Road, told me that though they stood beside the grave they could see nothing only the grave as their heads were bowed and everybody including the World Press was behind them as they had their backs to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Indeed, the Cadets had been at Arlington the day before the funeral to practice their drill while folks were digging the grave. And of course, discipline being discipline and pride being pride no Cadet was about to even consider sneaking a look backwards.

Indeed, the Cadets had been in Arlington the day before the funeral to practice their drill while folks were digging the grave.

The late Commandant Jack Dwyer from Thurles was also with that famous history-making group of Cadets and Jack later became a Medical Doctor.

And Jack Dwyer’s brother Captain Jim Dwyer of Thurles was also scheduled to be in Arlington but had suffered an injury playing rugby and was hospitalised and so could not travel to Washington with his brother, Jack and President Eamonn De Valera, their Commander–in–Chief.

The officer in charge of the Cadets was Lt Frank Colclough. Jim and Jack and Col Brian O’Reilly all featured in a special film of the Cadets drilling which had been made at Arbour Hill at President Kennedy’s request and the film was sent on to him.

Jim Dwyer, who was on many visits to the United States, told me that this film is now in the John F Kennedy Museum in Boston.

Col Brian O ‘Reilly, a former Aide De Camp to President Mary McAleese, who has travelled the world with the Irish Army and U.N. was once based in New York as Military Advisor to the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations at 1, Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, NewYork.

He has spoken over the years to clubs and radio stations about his unforgettable experiences. They had been treated quite royally indeed by the Americans, not surprisingly.

Brian recalled being in awe at the graveside of the great Statesman who had stood up to Kruschev in the Bay of Pigs affair as the world held its breath.

Kennedy was also of Irish roots, a Catholic and held in huge esteem by the Irish all over the world. And he had been on a State Visit to Ireland in June of 1963 only six months prior to the assassination, and the memory of that visit was still emblazoned on Irish hearts and memories.

Indeed a half million people had turned out in Dublin to welcome John F Kennedy, one of our own. And the reason why the Irish Army Cadets were selected to render graveside honours was because President Kennedy an ex-US Navy Officer of World War 2 and Pulitzer Prize winner, had been completely captivated by the almost magical precision drill of the Irish Cadets on his Irish visit in June 1963, and he even ordered West Point Military Academy to adopt the drill, and he resolved to have Irish Army Cadets at his funeral.

Was this tempting fate? Anyway, Kennedy’s widow, Mrs Jackie Kennedy (later Mrs Onassis) had requested the Irish Government to send the Irish Cadets to Washington 24 hours after the President’s assassination in downtown Dallas, Texas.

This was the first time that members of another country’s military had taken precedence over the American Armed Forces at the funeral and burial of a US President.

The drill used by the Cadets was known as The Queen Anne Drill, and the old-style Enfield Rifles were used. It was a very difficult and precise drill, and it meant having to revolve the rifle 360 degrees and fixing and removing bayonets while the trumpeters played the “Last Post”.