‘Jadotville’ John Gorman brings campaign to an end
Almost 20 years after he started seeking recognition for the men who served in the Siege of Jadotville, John Gorman has announced that his campaign has officially ended.
The Horseleap resident said his efforts to restore honour to the troops who served with him in the Congo in 1961 were initially regarded as a "mission impossible", but ultimately became a huge success.
'The Siege of Jadotville', a Netflix film starring Jamie Dornan, was released in 2016 and the following year the Government presented 156 specially-commissioned Jadotville medals to the men of 'A' Company, 35th Infantry Battalion, and to family representatives of the deceased members.
John himself was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship by Athlone IT last year, in recognition of his campaign, and was also honoured by President Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. In a recent message shared on social media, John announced that his Jadotville work was done.
"Having spent 18 years campaigning on behalf of my friends and comrades of A Coy 35th Inf. Bn, and having achieved my goal, to clear their good name and restore some pride in the families that for so many years had to endure the weight of the label placed on the backs of their loved ones, I feel now that there is nothing more I can give.
"Jadotville will never be forgotten but it has to end at some point and I feel that time is now. To carry on is fruitless, as there is nothing more to gain."
'Jadotville Day' commemorations have taken place in Dublin and Athlone in recent years and John suggested that they may have also run their course.
"I would suggest that we put Jadotville Day to rest and just remember we survived that living hell, but we have to stop somewhere and the right time is now.
"I have decided, as my new year resolution, to spend more time with my wife Joan and family, knowing Jadotville is over. Over but never forgotten."
Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, John said he was very proud of all that had been achieved over the years.
He celebrated his 76th birthday on Christmas Eve last and recalled that it was Christmas Eve of 1961 that he returned to Athlone after serving in Jadotville.
"It had gone through my head many times that I might never see that birthday (in 1961)," he recalled.
He spent two years gathering materials before setting out on his 18-year campaign, but it wasn't until he spoke with then-Minister Willie O'Dea in the mid-2000s that the bid for recognition started to move in a positive direction.
A Jadotville monument in Athlone's Custume Barracks, which contains the names of all 156 members of 'A' Company, is also part of the campaign's lasting legacy.
John said the late Austin Berry was "the best friend I had" during the campaign, and he also wished to thank his wife for all of her support over the years..