A young Irishman who collapsed and died on a football pitch at an American airbase was buried yesterday in his home town, Donegal, with full US military honours.
Eight US air force personnel, including two women, were the pallbearers who carried the steel casket bearing the body of Airman 1st Class Brian Kane from St Mary's Church, Killymard, to the nearby cemetery two miles from Donegal Town.
An American air force guard of honour fired a 21-gun salute over the grave. A lone American bugler played taps and an Irish soldier played The Last Post as the US flag, which draped the coffin, was folded and the casket was lowered in the shadow of the Bluestack mountains.
The airman died at the age of 29 while limbering up for a game of soccer at the Cannon Air Force base in Clovis, New Mexico, last Saturday week.
He was a media liaison officer at the base.