Irishwomen Buried in Arlington

Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington DC across the River Potomac in the State of Virginia is the most revered burial ground in the United States. It consists of 253 hectares (624 acres), which was confiscated from the family of the Confederate General, Robert E, Lee, during the Civil War for use as a military cemetery. Later, following legal action, its sale was agreed with the general’s son. It became an important national cemetery from the Civil War and with the re-interment there of dead from earlier conflicts, it has dead soldiers from every war in USA history. There are very strict criteria established for who can be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Most veterans and their families deem it to be a big honour to be eligible for burial there.

There are a number of Irish-born women buried in Arlington National Cemetery, and at least two came from County Mayo in the west of Ireland. Catherine (Kitty) Jennings (1909-1997), a native of Carrowbeg, Swinford, County Mayo,emigrated to the United States after completing her secondary education. She qualified as a nurse in New York and became a proud and loyal servant of her adopted country. After a number of years’ experience,she opted to join the American Army as a member of its nursing corps on November 17, 1942, in New York City. She served from 1943 in India during the Second World War. Later, she was sent to China, Burma and then back again to Karachi and Calcutta in India. She served in Japan from 1947 to 1949 and in Germany to October 1954. She attained the rank of Major. Catherine Jennings never married and retired on November 30, 1959, from Madigan Army Hospital, Tacoma, Washington. Her decorations include the National Defence Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Medal and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. Her service with the American army gave her the right to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. After her death on September 4, 1997, she was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, section 35, 3995, near the Tomb of the Unknowns, the most honoured site there, which is always guarded by the US army with regular Changing of the Guard.

Sabina Davitt (1850-1922) the youngest sister of the great Irish Land League leader and patriot Michael Davitt, was also buried in Arlington. She was born in Straide, County Mayo, and emigrated with her parents to Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1870. She served in a clerical position in the US navy during the First World War, which gave her the right to be buried in Arlington. Formally designated a yeoman, she was known as a’ yeomanette’. The most frequently visited grave in Arlington is that of President John F Kennedy and has wife, Jacqueline, with its eternal flame. It is interesting to find two women who were born within ten kilometres of each other in the West of Ireland in different eras lie buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Bernard O'Hara's latest book entitled Killasser: Heritage of a Mayo Parish is now on sale in the USA and UK as a paperback book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or Barnes and Noble

It is also available as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).

An earlier publication, a concise biography of Michael Davitt, entitled Davitt by Bernard O’Hara published in 2006 by Mayo County Council , is now available as Davitt: Irish Patriot and Father of the Land League by Bernard O’Hara, which was published in the USA by Tudor Gate Press (www.tudorgatepress.com) and is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. It can be obtained as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).