Mother of Irishman killed in Iraq reveals her heartbreak
The mother of the late Lance Corporal Ian Malone, 28, said she wants her son back, not a dead hero.
"It's reported he was a hero. But I would rather have him back than a dead hero," May Malone said.
"What use is a dead hero? I will really miss my son."
Mr Malone, a tank commander in the British Army's Irish Guards Regiment, died when a Fedayeen fighter opened fire on his armoured vehicle.
His mother sensed that her son was in trouble the day he was killed in Basra, southern Iraq. Mr Malone perished in the Iraqi city on Sunday, April 6.
May Malone had heard that British soldiers were killed that day and she feared her son was one of them.
"I thought to myself, oh please God, it won't be him. Every time I heard that British soldiers were killed in Iraq, it would cross your mind."
On the night of Ian's death, May went for a drink to a local pub with friends. Her daughter Debbie was the first to hear the terrible news.
The family heard of his death when a British Embassy representative called to their Ballyfermot home.
"He didn't have to tell me. I asked him was Ian dead and he replied, 'Yes'. There was no mistake, as he had Ian's full name and serial number," Debbie said.
Mrs Malone heard the dreaded news when she returned home just after midnight.
"Colonel Paul Cummings from the embassy knelt down on the floor beside me and told me my son was dead. I couldn't believe it. I was hysterical," she said.
The Malone family said yesterday they still feel nothing but pain and loss, seven weeks on from Ian's death.
"Everybody loved him. Every mother thinks their son is perfect, but Ian never caused me any trouble and got on with life," Mrs Malone said.
May Malone said she was heart-broken when Ian left home to join the British Army in July 1997.
"I can still see him turning the corner to leave. I cried for days and weeks after," she said.
Mrs Malone last saw her son in August 2002, when he returned home for her birthday.
Mr Malone was buried in Dublin with full military honours last month. His funeral was attended by the British Army and the Irish defence forces.
The Malone family will hold a commemorative service for Ian this weekend.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
