Padraig OKeeffe - Hidden Soldier: An Irish Legionnaires Wars from Bosnia to Iraq

I want to thank my parents, Denis and Eileen, my sisters, Brid and Catriona, and my nieces, Caitlin, Erin, Saoirse and Juliette, who have borne the burden of my life in conflict. Their loyal support has been one of the core pillars of my life.

Thanks to my true friends here at home you know who you are. I have opened my heart to you all and you have never faltered in your belief in me. You stood by me even when I unintentionally brought these conflicts home. There will always be a place in my heart for you all. To Keith Kenny and the long-suffering staff of the Rob Roy pub. To James Curry for having the courage to follow his convictions.

Special thanks to Tony OMahony and Paddy OKeeffe who sat with me through long nights, which first ran into weeks and then months, slowly coaxing those painful memories from my darkest corners for this book. I love you like brothers.

To Mick McCarthy, who is a Legion brother, and has been through conflict at my side from Bosnia and Iraq to Haiti. A man whose life would truly be worth my own a true hero.

To Kathy, Artemis and Alice of the Hart Group, who kept my best interests at heart. A special mention to the late Sean ODonovan, who made the phone call that led to this book.

And thanks to Ralph Riegel for his patience and good humour over the past year.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to the US Army Medical Corps, Cork University Hospital and South Infirmary Hospital I owe you all my life. Special thanks to Dr Declan Pender and Dr Sean T OSullivan.

Pdraig OKeeffe, Cork, July 2007

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I am deeply grateful to Pdraig OKeeffe for entrusting me with this book which became a remarkable journey for both of us. Working on this project was a great honour.

The book would not have been possible without the incredible and unquestioned support of my wife, Mary, my children, Rachel, Rebecca and Ralph, and my mother, Nora. None ever complained about having to watch me disappear, often for days on end, into books about the Foreign Legion, Iraq and Bosnia.

Similary, my thanks to all within Independent Newspapers, in particular the various news desks, as well as numerous reporters and photographers in Cork, for their unstinting support. A special thank you to Commandant Dan Harvey of the Southern Brigade for his honest and frank critique of the manuscript.

A special mention also to the late Sean ODonovan for making the initial introductions which led to this project. Seans death at such a young age was an absolute tragedy. This book would not have been possible without him.

A substantial merci as always to Michael OBrien, Ide N Laoghaire, Emma Byrne, Ivan OBrien, Claire McVeigh and all at OBrien Press for making this book a reality.

Some surnames in this book have been shortened to their prefix and, in a handful of other cases, names have been deliberately changed. This is purely to protect the personal security of the individuals involved for obvious reasons. But their stories have been unaltered and are faithfully recounted.

There are many fantastic books on the French Foreign Legion but, if you are to read only two, I can recommend Ewan McGormans Life in the French Foreign Legion and Martin Wilmslows The Last Valley. Both capture the essence, courage and mystery of La Legion. Robert Fisks The Great War for Civilisation should be compulsory reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the Middle East.

In conclusion, a grateful mention to my late father, Ralph, ex-US Navy and USS Brooklyn a quiet, unassuming man who first told me boyhood stories about the Foreign Legion and their famous Sidi-Bel-Abbs base in North Africa. Like so many of his generation, he served proudly in the company of heroes.

Ralph Riegel