In a ceremony Saturday at Bath Iron Works, the U.S. Navy christened the newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher. The ship is the 77th hull in a long-running and successful series of guided-missile warships which form the mainstay of the surface fleet's operations.
The destroyer is named after an Irishman, Lance Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, who was born in County Mayo in 1944. He moved to Long Island in 1962 and enlisted in the Marine Corps three years later.
Gallagher deployed to South Vietnam after basic training and was soon in the fight. On July 18, 1966, his company was operating near Cam Lo, northwest of Hue. He and three other marines were manning a defensive position, and were attacked by enemy soldiers at about 0145 in the morning. A grenade landed in Gallagher's position, and he kicked it out. A second grenade landed between two of his fellow Marines, and Gallagher threw himself on it to absorb the blast and save them. Luckily for Gallagher, it did not go off, and his squad leader ordered him to throw it into the nearby river - where it promptly detonated.
Gallagher survived this encounter and was awarded the Navy Cross. "Through his extraordinary heroism and inspiring valor in the face of almost certain death, he saved his comrades from probable injury and possible loss of life," his medal citation concluded.
However, he would not survive the war. On March 30, 1967, Gallagher was killed by small arms fire in a fight near Da Nang, South Vietnam. His body was recovered and returned home to Ballyhaunis, County Mayo for burial; his name can be found with all other fallen Marines, sailors, airmen and soldiers on the Memorial Wall in Washington.
In 2018, then-Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer selected Gallagher's name for the future destroyer DDG-127, christened at Bath this past weekend. The ceremony was a celebration of Irish heritage and the longstanding ties between the U.S. and Ireland. Irish minister of state for the diaspora Sean Fleming was the keynote speaker, and Gallagher's sisters were in attendance.
"I offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes to the entire Gallagher family today on this important recognition of Patrick's achievements and life," Minister Fleming said.
The event proceeded despite attempts at disruption. A group of pro-Palestine protesters tried to prevent attendees from entering on the morning of the ceremony, and nine individuals staged a sit-in to block traffic. This small group was arrested for criminal trespassing; one man was also cited for littering after he deposited fake blood on the ground.
