From US Marine to the IRA - Forgotten History Interviews
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- Опубліковано 24 кві 2024
- 1975: A young Irish-American man joins an elite US Marine unit to get the most intensive military training possible - then joins the Irish Republican Army, during the days of some of the bloodiest fighting ever in the Irish-British conflict. The Irish "Troubles" were at a murderous fever pitch when John Crawley volunteered for the IRA. Bloody Friday, Bloody Sunday, the bombing of the British Houses of Parliament, and other deadly incidents had recently unfolded or were about to ... Civilian casualties were common as British soldiers, Republican militants (who wanted the UK out of Northern Ireland) and Unionist police and militants (who wanted to remain in the UK), engaged in gun battles and car bombing throughout Northern Ireland. The death toll numbered over 1,000. Hosted by Colin D. Heaton. Forgotten History is a 10th Legion Pictures Production.
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Thank You John and Colin for the time and efforts to present this information.
This is a subject that has held my interest for a long time. Best Wishes to You, Your Family and Friends.
Good night Chesty wherever You are.
What a great interview. I understand some don’t like long form, but I enjoy it.
Thanks Colin!
Thank you for the support!
Same!!
Outstanding
Amazing channel my friend! Best on this shitty youtube platform. Hell, better than most on ANY platform. From one vet to another; nicely done!
Thank you kindly! Thanks for your service
This definitely makes me see the Troubles in a different light. Semper fi
No man should have to kneel to a government let alone a foreign government.
The British have to kneel to the crown though. Make of that what you will.
Thanks for doing this Colin.
Any time
Interesting observations on training. The recognition of its importance goes back a long way back in military history. In 75 AD Flavius Josephus wrote of the Roman army that 'their drills were bloodless battles, and their battles bloody drills.'
That about sums it up.
I agree that every country should be in charge of itself, and if you dont live there you shouldnt have a say.
The majority of people in Northern Ireland wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom.
@adampeters9861 Doesn't the fact there was a "Northern Ireland" make my point? How did there get to BE a Northern Ireland?
Because of the British.
So I reiterate that every country should manage itself.
@@scottmcley5111 There got to be Northern Ireland because the majority of the people who lived there did not want to be a part of an Irish republic. Their families had been living in that area for centuries and most of them had at least some native Irish ancestry, so the suggestion that they were an alien population whose wishes should have been ignored is hard to take seriously.
The very definition of sovereignty. Go figure.
@adampeters9861 But I don't think setting up something akin to a split island country is the solution. Look at Hispaniola.
IMO you wanna be English? Take the boat ride, the rest of the folks can at least be who they always were.
It would be like me trying to set up America in England. You can't expect that to work.
Their ancestors may have lived there for centuries, yet they wanted to be some amalgam of British and Irish. LEAVE for Pete's sake!
Once again, if I put up a US flag in England, and proclaimed it a separate country, I WOULD FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESPONSE.
Very interesting. As an Irish American myself, I have done a lot of reading about the cause. Being honest, I am the level of supporter that the guys in Ireland would say "just likes the music." But just because I would never be a part of it, myself, does not mean I am less interested than I am.
Thank you sir, for coming on this show and sharing your story.
I think Mr. Crawley raises a very important point when he states that he agrees with a peace, but not the process. It highlights the difference between peace and capitulation.
Great interview! Mr. Crawley is also very relatable to an American audience since we are a republic and he does a fantastic job in relating Irish history and its struggle for independence from the same empire which we gained ours from. His book is also an excellent read.
Sharing is caring 😊
Indeed!
Thank you for this video very illuminating lot's of thing's I'd never taken into account God bless.
You are so welcome
From the sounds of it, counterintelligence (or I suppose more accurately counterinsurgency) put the IRA to swiss cheese long before its eventual end. Which does raise the uncomfortable question of just how much truly evil and awfully heinous acts of terrorism against innocent civilians was not only allowed, but broad spectrum, *encouraged* as a means of roundly fitting them for the label.
that is an interesting question and maybe we will get a clear answer one day, thanks for watching!
Government has a bad habit of allowing or even encouraging terrorists within there own nation to excuse less freedom's an more taxes.
The IRA was allowed to continue to flush out the more dangerous elements on the loyalist side.
The UVF did most of the leg work in defeating the IRA but they couldn't be left to take power, so the IRA was operated from within until the UVF was infiltrated in the same way
The British were actively bombing in Ireland.
Really good stuff....
Glad you enjoyed it
I’m genuinely happy that his children are healthy and doing well in school but my heart breaks for the many innocent children who were murdered by his terrorist organization in cities in the UK and Northern Ireland. #Peace
Thanks for watching
Yes my heart breaks for the millions of Irish men women and children murdered by your country over 800 years. Ireland is the only country in the world with a lower population now than 150 years ago and your country is responsible. And more importantly you bastards still occupy 6 counties.
But your heart doesn't break for all the innocent Irish children and adults murdered by the British in Ireland over the centuries including The Troubles as well? You do realize the British govt. were and are the aggressors here. War is the result of that aggression and foreign occupation by a foreign government in Ireland. Americans also defended themselves from British control. Or do you disagree with our independence as well?
@@jmo8525 A lot of people bought the media narrative. The British were bombing their own people to make an enemy and provide a reason to be on the ground in NI. Your independence though, hmm, I would be careful saying that after the whole Epstein thing, which in my opinion was run by Andrew through MI6 to corrupt congress and allow royal British companies to grab huge military supply contracts. America looks unwilling to see that they got played as those contracts still stand and are worth billions of dollars. So independent? Yeah, no, not so much. People still buying into those narratives. My question to you is. Do you think the crown just walked out of America? Just walked away from all that profit? Or did they stay using their secret loyalist network to control and manipulate from the shadows? If you think they did, you don't know them at all. I'm British btw. If America doesn't deal with it's problems, your great idea (which I respect greatly) will fail.
Great interview..... He just missing the point that the Irish Protestants didn't want Britain to leave Northern island... What happens if Britain did leave? We would see the exact same civil war but on the opposite side.
Ireland doesn't belong to Great Britain though. Those in Ireland loyal to the foreign country of Great Britain can move to their country of loyalty. At the end of the day, all of Ireland belongs to the Irish to form their own country on their own terms, not the terms and interests of foreign governments.
@@jmo8525 What would the people of Northern Island want?
@@hx2607 No. What do the people of ALL of Ireland want. Great Britain has a country. They can't have everyone else's too.
@@jmo8525 you answered my genuine question with that reply....The people of Northern Island would want to stay inside the UK 👍
@@jmo8525 50% of British don't even want to be ruled by the monarchy.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Channel!!! Mahalo for everything you're doing & have done to get the truth out!!! God Wins/Won!
I remember one country that separated from England and became a Republic nearly 250 years ago.
Well said
Really bad take. People in Northern Ireland want to remain part of the UK. Ira want to force them into republic without against their will
@jimweights8908 the majority of the people in the colonies who sided with King George III. It was the wealthy colonists who wanted to seperate.
Far, far from the same, if that’s what you’re saying. Different in so many ways, especially if you’re saying that we did it so the Irish should too. Historically no comparison.
@@jimweights8908 "People in Northern Ireland want to remain part of the UK. "
Great Britain has a country. They can't have Ireland too.
Agree in the military leadership is everything
How does a Country that broke from the british pass judgement on a guy trying to help his ancestrial home do exactly that? Ponderous.
Sorry for the three comments, but this one wil be helpful. A direct answer to the question "where can you get the book" is: Amazon and ebay. Price is about the same either way. I just ordered mine.
I am sure there are other places to get it, but I found out right away that it is available at both of these places.
Whoa Colin that's a pretty long one you could cut it in half and got double the views part 1 and part 2😊
Yeah, we're still experimenting. Just seeing how something this long will do. John Crawley is an interesting individual.
@@FORGOTTENHISTORYCHANNEL yes he is very interesting
unfortunately it doesn't work that way
YT rewards longform content
its a tug of war - we want shorter bite-size content, we won't watch longer videos as much
YT pushes longform to more ppl so it gets more impressions
YT trying to force THEIR priorities down our throats : /
He went from the Marines to a civilian militia . I don’t know if i would have kept with the program ..
Amazing how often when there is trouble in the world you will find an Englishman.
LOL
Or a septic!
@@morlockianhabits1974 That's just cowardly English behaviour hiding behind colloquialisms.
Imagine what goes on in England. The place is like a giant cold wet Epstein island lol.
As he recited a part of the Pledge, I can't help but get peeved when he didn't say " one nation, under God" in the lines as he only said, "one nation..."
The under God part was only added during the Cold War when we were scared of turning into godless commies. Same with In God We Trust on money.
“Under God” was added during the Eisenhower admin. Due to efforts by the KOC.
No American is required to say the "under God" part. And I am Christian and an American patriot. That isn't in the Constitution. Also, that part of the pledge was added later and wasn't in the original.
@@jmo8525 No one is obligated to say 'under God' or to say pronouns!
@@anselmbegley2514 Correct!
I found his military assessment to be very interesting. A ex-Marine who was both a sergeant and in recon, the elite of an elite inside the Marines, show the speaker knows his subject. Referring to the IRA as armed civilians with logistical and training issues is an eye opener. I remember one book on terrorism stating that the IRA had problems on the training level and at times members were caught due to weapons malfunctions. Engineering on the other hand is very interesting because it hints that civil engineering can be used towards military purposes. Of course the IRA was the only group to have similar problems. I think the Weather Underground had similar problems in terms of knowhow, they were good with bombs and propaganda, but not much else. In any case the matter of Irish Unification is more than likely going to be solved through political action that needs to be more resistant to the status quo rather than complying with. So what they're going to need are political leaders not military leaders.
The problem here is that he's allowing the audience to think he's says he was a Recon Marine. He was not. He was in LAR. Light armored reconnaissance. It's a regular infantryman who rides in LAV-25s
@@FormerVicePresidentDickVeiny I'm not that familiar with LAR, but being a sergeant in the Marines, which technically is an elite force, he is bound to have some insight some people might not have in regards to how a military needs to be organized. It also doesn't mean his assessment is wrong either.
The best have already immigrated cuz. Go Navy!
Thank Goodness! With a similar background and intentions, I was slow played and rejected by these same fools.
Thanks for watching
With his admitting that integration between the two communities failed, I wonder what his thoughts are about the current illegal immigrants colonizing Ireland. He seems like he's still a believer in leftist integrationist republicanism, so I don't know how one would reconcile the failure of integrating closely related peoples but believing in integrating people from other continents. Especially with America being so racially and politically polarized. He knows a good portion of leadership was self serving and would likely agree with me that SF are sellouts. But if he still believes in integration, i would like to question him on that position if i were an interviewer. I side with Bobby Sands on this point in particular, but applied to all colonizers: "There can never be peace in Ireland until the foreign oppressive British presence is removed leaving all the Irish people as a unit to control their own affairs and determine their own destinies as a sovereign people free in mind and body separate and distinct physically culturally and economically".
Thanks for watching
My only complaint is, you can't hit the like button more than once!
This mans story is the layout of all insurgency movements the world over.
likes to call himself a soldier but he hardly saw a shot fired in anger. Planted a lot of bombs, but was never ever in a contact
Thanks for watching
And yet hugely brave to take on a generational well trained globally feared military.
@@nospoon4799 you are only a solider when you actually confront your enemy in a full blown contact and bravery is controlling ones fear. . Planting bombs in power stations or under cars or shooting someone on their way to work is not soldiering, although this guy likes to claim he is. He was a terrorist and to call him a soldier is an insult to real soldiers,
Its easy to turn insurgencies if easily bribed
Did Mister Crawley renounce his US Citizenship when he joined the PIRA? He apparently seems very annoyed with the policy of Irish people having the right to hold UK and Irish Citizenship.
Unknown
Considering Britain has tried to prevent both Ireland and the U.S. from gaining independence, I can say Americans are not threatened by Ireland at all.
52:32 "if you can still give your allegiance to a foreign country, how are you an Irish citizen?" Could we not say the same about you, after you gave your allegiance to Ireland instead of the USA? Your logic applies back to you on that. If those Irish cannot also be British, then you cannot be an Irishman loyal to Ireland and an American without being a hypocrite. Sincerely, from an ethnically Scottish American. My loyalty is to America, not Scotland.
Thanks for watching
As Ethan Edwards said in “The Searchers” when he wouldn’t swear in as a deputy Ranger, “I’m only good for one oath at a time.”
This guy swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States when he joined the Corps. How do you then swear allegiance to another government or organization and not be called an oath breaker?
Agree that you cannot have dual citizenship legally in the U.S.. It is also true that Ireland never threatened U.S. sovereignty and security but Britain did and still does.
@@jmo8525 How does Britain “threaten” US security?
@@williamsmith8790 The British establishment/govt. have been trying to destroy the independent American republic since its founding and bring it back under the control of British Empire interests, which are the total opposite of American interests. They never accepted the American Revolution.
Not one century has passed since 1776 that they haven't sought, planned and executed through various actions, overt and covert, the overthrow of of our 1776 founding. They're still at it today and since WW1 have made great strides.
I have two questions?
1) How many countries do the BRITISH still control today.
2) Who controls the BRITISH?
The UK still holds a lot of sway over a few old colonies, especially in the Caribbean, but a death grip.
Those countries mean nothing now. Canada and Australia are the real titans sitting on resource wealth which the Crown will NEVER relinquish....
...well without a fight at least but in my experience most Canadians think Trudeau is the issue and not the Families he serves.
Okay, that is one side Colin.
Yes, we just let John Crawley speak his mind
Tiocfaidh ár lá
Not under the EU, your getting genocided like the rest of us. ☹️
Thanks for watching
so why did Ireland stay in the EU, its been a disaster.
Have to ask them
In my opinion the good Friday agreement (Clinton and Blair) was a deal for the IRA smuggling groups to take control of certain illegal importation (nose booster) into Europe. They already had the routes and infrastructure. This would require the open border part of the EU. Ireland is now the fourth richest country in Europe. So one mans disaster is another mans opportunity. There have been several busts along this route recently. Huge seizures for this part of the World. Way too much to supply just Ireland and the UK.
Brits out everyone else in!
But man, you do NOT have an "American accent." The first thing I wondered about you was why you sounded so completely Irish. Then the story told us you went there and grew up, at the age of 14, and that explained it. WHO told you that you have an American accent???
Take it from us, brother. You don't. Understand that before you get into any spy work.
It's OK listening to this fella but you have to also take into account the wishes of 800,000 Unionists who strongly wish to remain part of the U.K.
Thanks for watching
you actually dont have to take into account their wishes! Ireland has a right to all 32 counties regardless of what the families of colonizing bootlickers want!
Yet 50% of the uk doesn't want to be ruled by the monarchy.
The Irish Republican Army
Because Ireland unfree will never be at peace.
Ireland's foreign migrants are about to become a much bigger threat to peace...
Do you realise how ridiculous you sound.
Do you realise how ridiculous you sound.Everyone in Northern Ireland has the exact same rights and freedoms as the Republic.And if they're not happy in the North,they are free to go and live in the South.
Not sure I’m the one who sounds ridiculous. A country relieved of six counties. A country divided. And a great portion of the Northern population does not, in fact, have the same rights and freedoms. Anyone who says so is a fool.
Thanks for watching
he sounds quite Irish for an Irish American ..wouldnt surprise me if he sounds Irish to yanks and American to Irish people