US Navy Veteran Receives 12th Batt Royal Irish Rifles Medal During Belfast Tour
During a scheduled stop in Northern Ireland, a group of volunteers presented an American tourist with their unit's armband and pin, citing the upcoming Remembrance Period.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
A group of Irish military volunteers presented a US Navy veteran with their unit's armband and medal pin after observing him watch a wreath-laying ceremony outside a castle in Northern Ireland. The encounter occurred during a guided tour bus excursion that departed from Donegall Square in Belfast.
The American visitor, traveling with his wife Renae, chose to walk the castle grounds rather than pay a fifty-dollar entry fee for an expedited interior tour. While observing the view of the Northern Channel, he noticed several men wearing Kelly green blazers and unit patches. One member of the group carried a wreath of poppies.
The men gathered around a headstone located on a patch of grass near the castle walls. The visitor observed their brief ceremony but stood far enough away to miss their spoken words. After the wreath was laid at the base of the stone, the visitor approached the group to introduce himself and identify his service in the US Navy.
The men, identified as members of the 12th Batt Royal Irish Rifles and Central Antrim Volunteers, surrounded the couple and asked questions about their travels and their country. They explained that early October marks the beginning of the annual Remembrance Period, which aligns with the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
The volunteers invited the couple to join them for the remainder of the day's wreath-laying events, which were scheduled to conclude with drinks at a nearby pub. The couple accepted the gesture of the armband and pin but declined the invitation to stay, citing their planned itinerary. The group understood the need to return to the tour bus.
The presentation of the medal pin included the inscription, “At The Going Down of The Sun We Will Remember Them.” The visitors noted that the men wore miniature military medals and striped ties, creating a formal appearance for the occasion. The tour group eventually returned to the bus to continue their route toward the Giant’s Causeway.
