This year's grand marshal, Paul Kennedy, showed up with family in tow. (Click on the photo to see more.)
Community parades often hand out prizes for the strangest things, like fire engines traveling the longest distance to participate in the celebration. If they were awarding prizes like that in the Burlington County St. Patrick’s parade, they’d have to give one to the grand marshal, Paul Kennedy.
This enthusiastic grand marshal flew, oh, roughly 6,000 miles just for that celebratory ride down High Street in Mount Holly Saturday at 1 p.m.
Kennedy, who works for the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), has been based at the sprawling U.S. embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone for several months. It’s his first tour of Iraq for the agency, which, according to the agency Web site, serves as “a watchdog for fraud, waste, and abuse of funds intended for Iraq reconstruction programs.”
“We identify areas of concern such as fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement,” says Kennedy, who, when he’s not on the job in Iraq, lives in Mount Holly with his wife Lynn. “We are comprised of auditors, inspectors and investigators. Some of our work has been instrumental in assisting the Department of Justice in recovering stolen money and prosecuting criminals.”
Kennedy is a senior analyst.
One look at Kennedy gives you a hint, at least, that he is cut out for work in hostile territory. With his closely-cropped hair, stocky build and military bearing, Kennedy betrays his background. Kennedy is Army—all Army. Kennedy was born in 1953, the son of a career Army Officer. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in June of 1974 and went on to serve in a number of infantry units, including the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. After that, he attended flight school and became a helicopter pilot. He retired from the Army as an aviation officer and maintenance test pilot, to become the Director of Internal Review at the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia. Now, he’s serving SIGIR.
Kennedy’s Army roots go deep. What’s more, several of his children have gone on to serve, including Staff Sergeant Sean P. Kennedy, U.S. Army; SPC Margaret A. (Kennedy) Vargas, U.S. Army; Sergeant James Kennedy, U.S Army; and Sergeant Matthew T. Kennedy, U.S. Army. Paul, Jr., is a conductor with CSX Railroad.
Three of Kennedy’s children were in Iraq during a good portion of his tour there. “Fortunately, they have all returned back home,” he says. “My youngest (Matthew) is in Afghanistan serving with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. This is his second tour. Both of his older brothers (Sean and James, members of the 82nd Airborne Division), have also completed multiple combat tours, Sean in both Iraq and Afghanistan. My daughter (SPC Margaret A. Vargas) has decided to hang up her boots in favor of becoming a full-time mom. She returned from Iraq in August last year.”
All of his children are expected to join him in the parade.
Despite his service background, Kennedy is no stranger to the worry that dogs all parents of children serving in combat zones.
“It is never easy for a parent to have a child in a war zone,” he says. At one time we had four all in combat areas. We worry constantly, and pray unceasingly. When my wife Lynn heard of my opportunity to work in Iraq, she thought it was a great idea. She trusted me to keep an eye out on the kids. In reality however, she not only had to worry about our children, but now she had to worry about me as well. She got the worst part of the deal. I don’t know how she does it.”
For his part, Kennedy says, service in Iraq has been gratifying. And he’s far from roughing it.
“I am very fortunate to be housed in the diplomatic apartments,” he says. “They are fully furnished, with a kitchen, full bath, and common area (Two persons to an apartment). We have two gyms, an indoor pool, tennis courts, and plenty of activities. The food is excellent (thanks to the great folks who work at the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia). Our rooms are very comfortable… plenty of reading material, music, and TV with about 70 channels. I am never bored.”
While in Iraq, Kennedy also had the good fortune to meet and befriend Mount Holly’s chaplain. Father Tim Hirten, a major in the U.S. Air Force, said Masses at the embassy. Kennedy, a pretty fair musician, led the music group at the Masses.
With a name like Kennedy, this year’s grand marshal has a strong Irish pedigree, and his heritage has always been important to him. He and his son Paul, he says, are “huge supporters of Irish music.” Paul, a multi-instrumentalist, started playing at the High Street Grill in Mount Holly several years ago.
“When Paul, Jr., first started playing there, there was no Irish music at all in town. I began sitting in with him and we developed a bit of a following,” he says. “Now, more and more events are springing up in town that highlight the Irish or Celtic culture including, what hopefully will become an annual event: the Mount Holly Celtic Festival. We also support other Celtic cultural events such the Annual Mount Holly Burns’ Supper, an idea my good friend Tom MacIver, Paul, Jr., and I put together with the help and support of our great friends at the High Street Grill, John and Nancy McDevitt, who host the event. No matter what the event however, we always end up back at the High Street Grill playing Irish music. I think the biggest connection (to Irish heritage) for me is with the music… and pretty much any event that provides an opportunity to play Irish music.”
Kennedy has been involved in the parade committee since its inception. Still, he was surprised and honored to be selected as this year’s grand marshal. When parade director Jim Logue broke the news to him, he says, he though Jim was joking. The shock wore off, though, and now he just has an opportunity to sit back and enjoy the thrill. “Serving this year as the grand marshal is a tremendous honor for me, and my family,” he says. “It is anexperience I will remember for the rest of my life.”
