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US Navy - Guided Missile Destroyer DDG 127 - USS Patrick Gallagher |
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| 07/24 | ||
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Type,
class: Guided Missile Destroyer - DDG; Arleigh Burke
class, Flight IIA TI Builder: General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, USA STATUS: Awarded: September 28, 2017 Laid down: March 30, 2022 Christened: 2024 ? Launched: 2024 ? Commissioned: 2026 ? UNDER CONSTRUCTION Homeport: Namesake: Lance Corporal Patrick Gallagher, USMC (1944-67) Ships Motto: BE BRAVE AND BE BOLD Technical Data: see: INFO > Arleigh Burke class Guided Missile Destroyer - DDG |
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| images | ||
 launching preparations - July 2024  launching preparations - July 2024  launching preparations - July 2024  under construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine - March 2023  under construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine  under construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine  under construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine |
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USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127): originally planned as USS Gallagher > renamed USS Patrick Gallagher. |
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Lance Corporal Patrick Gallagher / USMC (1944-67): Patrick “Bob” Gallagher (pronounced GAL-a-her) was born February 1st, 1944 and grew up on the family farm at Derrintogher (near Ballyhaunis) in County Mayo, Ireland. He was the second of nine children, and the eldest son, of Peter and Mary Gallagher. His sister Margaret was too young to properly pronounce “Patrick,” so “Bob” came in its place and stuck throughout his life. Having higher ambitions than the local economy allowed for, he moved to the United States in 1962, at age eighteen. Settling in with an aunt in Lynnhaven, on Long Island, New York, he worked in real estate and property management while studying law. Gallagher was interested in politics and worked on the 1964 senatorial campaign of Robert F. Kennedy, who was an admired member of the Irish-American community. Also in 1964, on the other side of the world, the U.S. was involved in the conflict in Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin incident led to a resolution in Congress directing the escalation of the war in Vietnam, and therefore an increase in draft requirements. Green card holders were eligible for the draft, and Gallagher was selected. The Vietnam War was not popular in the U.S., but even less so in Ireland. Gallagher’s sisters in the U.S. tried to persuade him to simply return home to Ireland and avoid wartime service, but he was not interested in that option. Gallagher was excited to become a U.S. Marine and to serve the country that was his new home. That is exactly what he did, enlisting November 5th, 1965. He returned to Ireland for three weeks to see his family, but he told no one else he would soon be fighting in Vietnam, and he kept his sisters sworn to secrecy. He could have stayed in Ireland, but Gallagher was committed to the U.S. and the Marine Corps. His mantra was “life is for living, be brave and be bold.” This is the last time he would see his family. It was February 1966 when Gallagher was at the family home in Ireland. In April he was in Vietnam with Company H of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, conducting Operation Hastings. On July 18th he was in a forward position at Cam Lo, near the North Vietnamese border. In the middle of the night, Gallagher was with the three other Marines on his fire team, who were asleep, when an enemy grenade landed nearby. Gallagher quickly reacted and kicked it away where it safely exploded. Another enemy grenade landed, and he unhesitatingly and heroically covered it with his body to absorb the explosion and save his team. Miraculously, the grenade did not explode. After the three other Marines moved to a safe distance, despite two more grenades exploding nearby, Gallagher threw the grenade he was covering into a river where it immediately exploded. Nobody was harmed. It was for this heroic action that on February 19th , 1967, Gallagher received the Navy Cross, the second highest military award, which was presented by General William Westmoreland, Commander of U.S. Forces in Vietnam (and later Chief of Staff of the Army). He was also meritoriously promoted to corporal. Gallagher was told that he would have easily received a Medal of Honor had the attack been fatal. In fact, his battalion did submit a Medal of Honor citation, but it was downgraded to a Navy Cross by higher authority which gave the reason that he survived the attack. However, there has never been a requirement to die to receive the medal, but rather that a servicemember “distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” (10 U.S. Code § 7271). Corporal Gallagher certainly distinguished himself in such a fashion, and efforts remain underway to honor Gallagher with the nation’s highest award. At the time of his award presentation, Gallagher’s family was still unaware he was in Vietnam. He knew media coverage would soon reach home so he wrote a letter to confess his secret, saying, “I have been in Vietnam since April ‘66. I will be leaving here in about 60 days. Now don’t get worried, everything is going just fine here. I am enjoying it very much. I had planned not to tell you until I got back to the U.S.” Describing his actions that earned him the Navy Cross, Gallagher humbly said, “It was not much, but they made a big thing of it.” News of the war hero was received enthusiastically in Ireland and a grand celebration was planned for Gallagher’s homecoming. On March 30th, 1967, only almost six weeks after receiving the Navy Cross, and the day before he was scheduled to leave Vietnam, Gallagher volunteered (as he had many times before) to join a patrol when his team was to provide security for local rice farmers under threat of attack in DaLoc, near Da Nang. Viet Cong forces ambushed Gallagher and his team killing him and seven others. After almost a year in Vietnam this was to be his last patrol, and it was, but with a tragic ending at the age of twenty-three. April 14th was supposed to be the day of his homecoming celebration in Ireland, but he was buried that day instead. - - - - - A copy of Senator Schumer’s letter to the US Navy: Office of the Secretary of the Navy 1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4D652 Washington, DC 20350 Dear Secretary Richard Spencer, I write to urge the United States Navy to name the next available destroyer (DDG class ship) after Lance Corporal Patrick Gallagher of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). As a result of Corporal Gallagher’s extraordinarily valiant and patriotic service in the Vietnam War, he was awarded a Navy Cross in 1967, our nation’s second highest military award. After emigrating to America in 1962 from his home in Ballyhaunis, a town in, County Mayo, Ireland, Patrick Gallagher moved to Long Island, New York, where he lived, worked, and studied with the American Dream in his heart. He enlisted into military service in 1966 and readily answered the call of his new nation. He was assigned to “H” Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. His unit was assigned to Vietnam and soon saw action in Operation Hastings. On July 18, 1966, while under enemy fire, Corporal Patrick Gallagher showed his extraordinary heroism and inspiring valor in the face of mortal threat. During the night, enemy fighters infiltrated the area occupied by his unit and threw grenades into their position. Corporal Gallagher kicked a grenade out of the area before it exploded, and then, according to his official citation, “another grenade followed and landed in a position between two of his comrades. Without hesitation, in a valiant act of self-sacrifice, Corporal Gallagher threw himself upon the deadly grenade in order to absorb its explosion and save the lives of his comrades.” As further grenades exploded in the position, Corporal Gallagher threw the grenade he was still lying on away from the position, where it exploded. Amazingly, no injuries were sustained in the attack. Corporal Gallagher saved his comrades from catastrophic injury and possible loss of life. His courageous actions were in the highest traditions of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service and he was justly awarded the prestigious Navy Cross for his deeds. Contemporaneous news articles from March 1, 1967 show Corporal Gallagher receiving his award from General William Westmoreland, Commander of US forces in Vietnam. Tragically, Corporal Gallagher was killed in action in DaLoc near Da Nang -- along with several of his comrades – on March 30, 1967, just several days before his tour of duty was to have ended. Not yet a citizen, Corporal Patrick Gallagher had made the ultimate sacrifice for his adopted nation. His story and legacy remain alive and deeply impactful on all who hear it. Fifty years after being killed in action his sacrifice is still being honored in both America and Ireland. A well-supported petition campaign is under way, and, on March 30th of this year an event in remembrance of his life was conducted in his home town, which drew many hundreds of participants, significant media coverage on both sides of the Atlantic and a full honor guard of United States Marines from the American embassy. The naming of a United Sates Navy destroyer is a fitting way to pay tribute to Corporal Gallagher’s sacrifice, to his willingness to serve his adopted nation and will serve as a permanent reminder to all of his bravery, selflessness and patriotism. The naming of a destroyer for Corporal Gallagher is consistent with the Navy’s policy of naming destroyers for “distinguished heroes who are deceased members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.” Moreover, it is consistent with precedent; recently a Navy destroyer was named after fallen USMC hero Rafael Peralta, also a recipient of the Navy Cross for heroic actions that very closely parallel those of Corporal Patrick Gallagher’s. It will also remind all those many new Americans that are willing to serve this nation that America honors those who serve her. As the effort to name a ship in his honor has articulated, “This recognizes the many contributions of foreign nationals in U.S. Navy, U.S Marines & Armed Forces throughout our history, voluntarily serving with loyalty, honor & commitment to their adopted country. A US Navy ship afloat with this heritage would be a welcome reminder to those at home that their loved one's service and perhaps ultimate sacrifice, were remembered by us, the citizens, members of our Armed Forces and the government of the United States of America.” I have long been a strong supporter of the United States Armed Forces, the Navy and the Marine Corps. I have also long been committed to honoring those new Americans who awe me with their willingness to serve their new nation. In 2003, after many years of working with committed advocates like the late John Leahy (and then General of the United States Marine Corps John Kelly) and the late Senator Edward Kennedy, I was extremely proud that the Congress passed the Posthumous Citizenship Bill to provide citizenship to those in our Armed Forces killed in action before they could achieve full citizenship. That day, 23 families of young Irishmen who served in the Korean War were granted citizenship. It was a moving day. Since then the bill has provided a way to honor other families - from many different nations - who have lost their loved ones in the recent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Remembering sacrifice and honoring our heroes matters. I can think of no better way for the United States Navy and the Marine Corps to eternalize and publicize the best of what America and our armed force stand for than to name a destroyer for Corporal Patrick Gallagher. Please contact me on this matters and others if I can be of any assistance. Sincerely, U.S. Senator for New York Charles E. Schumer
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