Madam, - I never thought I would find myself defending Martin Cullen and Niall O'Dowd, but I think Fintan O'Toole gets it entirely wrong today over the "Fighting Irish" 69th Infantry (Opinion, March 29th).
He misunderstands why it is important for military formations to maintain a tradition such as a flag, badge or title. It may seem like pointless sentimentalism in peacetime, but in the chaos of battle unit cohesion often means the difference between victory and defeat, or even life and death. Military historian John Keegan points out that a shared tradition "helps to foster a unit's identity, and strengthens the bonds between its members". The sobriquet "Fighting Irish" has a military usefulness that goes beyond ethnic stereotyping.
The "Fighting Irish" reputation is thoroughly deserved by this regiment. By any standard, the deeds of the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War were distinguished by outstanding courage under fire. Fredericksburg (December, 1862) is comparable to the Somme, except perhaps that the chances of victory and survival were even smaller. Recently, an American general looked at the notorious Sunken Road position on the Antietam battlefield, where the Irish Brigade marched into murderous Confederate fire on September 17th, 1862. He observed soberly: "You would never get American boys to make that assault today."
Mr O'Toole points out that most Irish soldiers in 1862 loathed blacks and served only to establish themselves as Americans. But these motives for service were not dishonourable; in fact many blacks joined the army and put their lives on the line to prove themselves not only as Americans, but as men also. A great film, Glory, has been made on this theme. Both groups of outsiders, formerly despised, had more in common than they liked to admit.
This does not mean that I approve of the war in Iraq, or of the killing of civilians. But it would be sad, and ultimately counterproductive to our important relationship with the United States, to let the proud tradition of the 69th "Fighting Irish" be ignored in the homeland of the regiment's founders. - Yours, etc,
TOBY JOYCE, Navan, Co Meath.