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Kevin McDonald

Commandant

Commandant Kevin McDonald served 7 years with Fórsa Cosanta  Áitiúil (FCA) and 33 years with the Permanent Defence Forces. He discusses his military career, focusing on his extensive service overseas. Most of his interview relates to his service in Lebanon and he speaks about the 2006 Lebanon War when he was serving with Observer Group Lebanon (OGL). He speaks about the deaths of some of his United Nations Military Observer colleagues at an OGL patrol base at El Khiam during that war.

Giving the Order to Open Fire

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): Hariss

Length: 1.37

Kevin discusses an incident while serving with the 56th Infantry Battalion which he describes as the only time in his military career when he gave the order to open fire. He was an acting Corporal on a checkpoint at night when LAUI (Locals armed and uniformed by the Israelis) which...

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Operation Accountability

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): Brashit

Length: 6.26

Kevin speaks about his service with 73rd Battalion where he was based in the village of Brashit, South Lebanon. He discusses his experiences during Operation Accountability where Israeli Forces intensively shelled South Lebanon for seven days and he speaks about seeing shells landing around their compound. He describes an unexploded...

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‘Etched in Blood’ Khiam 2006

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): El Khiam

Length: 3.16

Kevin explains the background to a poem he brought with him to this interview. The poet is an Australian officer, Lt Col Baron J Ferguson who worked with Kevin during his 2014-2016 service with UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation). To mark the tenth anniversary of the deaths of four...

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Reflection on his Career – Kevin McDonald

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): Ireland

Length: 2.31

In this clip Kevin reflects on his career, stating that his retirement is coming up. He refers to the fact that after his retirement he is going on to work with a United Nations mission (MONUSCO United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in a...

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Khiam Patrol Base

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): El Khiam

Length: 2.43

Kevin describes an action at a United Nations patrol base at El Khiam on 25th July 2006 where four of his fellow United Nations Military Observers serving with UNTSO were killed. These were Major Hans Peter (Austrian), Major Du (Chinese), Lt Jarno (Finnish) and Major Paeta (Canadian). Kevin had been...

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UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Family Mission

Kevin McDonald
Interviewed for MAOHP - 09/11/2016
Location(s): Tyre

Length: 2.52

In this clip Kevin speaks about UNTSO policy that allowed families to live with serving United Nations Military Observers. His family had joined him and were living in the city of Tyre, South Lebanon when the 2006 Lebanon War started. He discusses the United Nations evacuation plan for families who...

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