And what was it exactly they did? Talk us through the operation.

Uh, yeah.

[coughs] Well, they, uh, [coughs] they, they disrupted, uh, [coughs] the rail lines, uh, going to Dublin [coughs] outside Portlaoise, uh, to prevent, uh, reinforcements coming from the south to Dublin when the rising started.

Uh, why was it that it's been something that's, uh, grabbed your attention and your, your passion so much?

Well, first of all, I had two uncles involved in 1916.

[laughs] Uh, uh, uh, and my father as well, uh, who was also involved.

And, uh, when it was coming up that time there a few years ago, we decided we, we better commemorate this, and we put up a monument there in Clonad to commemorate these guys, and with their names are on the plaque there in, in Clonad.

Okay, guys, this morning we're starting a new series across the summer through the book of Colossians.

So I have got a title here called The Fruit of the Gospel, and I'm going to be looking at Colossians chapter 1, verses 1 to 14.

And I'm going to be reading, and I'm going to be a bit naughty because that's what I am.

We're going to be using the New Living Translation.

Well, I am.

You can use whatever translation you prefer.

He looked over his shoulder one last time.

And as I look over, Randy Harrison jumps up.

He's a fair-haired guy, and he's all painted up, and he's got a bandana on because he wore a bandana over his light hair.

I see him jump up, and he looks at me, and I look at him.

He was the last man, and he waited till everybody was aboard.

He gave them a last burst of his automatic weapon, threw it down, and took off to the helicopter.

Randy took about four steps and jumped in the water, sort of a flying jump in the water, trying to hit the helicopter, missed, and, uh, took about one stroke in the water and got his arm over the skid.

Remember him? The last man on the helicopter? The fair-haired guy in the bandana? Here he is speaking at an event at the Air Force Museum in 2016.

Jim remembers how it felt when he arrived in 1968.

As we get off, the flares are going off around.

You can see artillery going off over here, and it was just no question in your mind you're somewhere you've never been before.

We probably got there at midnight and got in our barracks probably 4:00 in the morning or whatever to get a couple hours of sleep, and I remember turning over, and a tear comes out of my eye and down my nose.

And I s- [laughs] I said to myself, "Damn, only 364 more of these to go [laughs] before I get out." You know, I already, already knew I didn't like it there.

He looked over his shoulder one last time.

And as I look over, Randy Harrison jumps up.

He's a fair-haired guy and he's all painted up and he's got a bandana on because he wore a bandana over his light hair.