US delegation to honour US Navy hero in Ballinrobe

Anton McNulty

A DELEGATION from the US is to travel to Ballinrobe to lay a wreath at the statue of John King at the Cornmarket. The 20-strong delegation from the US military cemetery where the Ballinrobe-born US Navy hero is buried will lay the wreath on September 1.
King was born in Currabee, Ballinrobe, in 1862 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1893 after emigrating to the US. He is one of only 19 men to receive two Congressional Medals of Honour for heroism. He received the first in 1901 and the second in 1909.
He died in 1938 and was buried in the US military cemetery in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Ann Reid, a great-niece of John King and the Treasurer of the Ballinrobe Community Development Council, told The Mayo News that the local community is looking forward to welcoming the party from Arkansas.
“Every St Patrick’s Day, the people in charge of the cemetery in Hot Springs honour John King and see him as a big hero. President Obama mentioned him one St Patrick’s Day, and there are not too many people who get two medals for heroism.
“The committee in charge of the cemetery contacted me to say that they will be travelling to Ireland and they wanted to visit Ballinrobe and honour John King. We are delighted to facilitate them and welcome them to Ballinrobe, and hopefully we will get a large crowd on the day,” she said.
In addition to receiving two Congressional Medals of Honour, John King was awarded numerous good-conduct awards. Moreover, in 1961, the US Navy commissioned a navy destroyer named the USS John King in his honour.
The bronze statue of John King was unveiled in Ballinrobe in 2010.
The wreath laying ceremony will take place at the statue at approximately 2.30pm on Friday, September 1.