Cpl. Patrick “Bob” Gallagher immigrated to the United States from Ireland in the 1960s, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honored with the Navy Cross as a hero who saved American soldiers during the Vietnam War before he was killed in action.
This Memorial Day, members of the Gallagher family who traveled from Ireland to San Diego are participating in a special ceremony hosted by the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial. Gallagher will receive a tribute as part of the annual festivities, part of the memorial’s “250 Years of Valor” campaign coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary that honors diverse individuals who have defended American liberty.
Family members will stand on the morning of May 25 at the “High Ground” of San Diego as his plaque is dedicated among the memorial’s iconic black granite walls, with officials describing the scene as a presence underscoring the deep, lasting bond between Ireland and the United States forged through shared sacrifice. Memorial officials told Military.com that approximately 17 members and associates of the Gallagher family will be in attendance.
“Cpl. Gallagher’s journey—from the shores of Ireland, to the jungles of Vietnam—embodies the ‘American Story’ of service and the enduring pursuit of liberty,” Neil O’Connell, executive director of the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, said in a statement shared with Military.com.
As we commemorate 250 years of American independence, Patrick’s legacy reminds us that the cause of freedom is a global call, answered by those who believe in the promise of this nation.
Mt. Soledad dedicates more than 200 plaques every year, all broadly reflecting the diversity of veterans who have served the United States. It’s extended into something bigger, with this being the second year the memorial has parterned with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres to extend the tribute from Mt. Soledad to Petco Park.
Last year, Mt. Soledad honored Seaman 1st Class Lakiba Palmer, a San Diego native, and 16 of her shipmates who perished aboard the USS Cole when it was bombed broadside while docked in the port of Aden, Yemen.
Moving to New York, Enlisting in the Marine Corps
Gallagher’s journey led him from Europe to North America.
He was born Feb. 1, 1944, according to U.S. Navy service records, and grew up on the family farm at Derrintogher, near Ballyhaunis, in County Mayo, Ireland. The second of nine children, as well as the eldest son, the name “Bob” reportedly stuck when his sister, Margaret, was too young to properly pronounce “Patrick.”
In 1962, Gallagher at age 18 left Ireland due to economic factors. He landed in Long Island, New York, and lived with an aunt. He worked in real estate and property management while studying law, developing an interest in politics that led to him working on the 1964 senatorial campaign of Robert F. Kennedy.
“Cpl. Gallagher’s primary connection to San Diego is through the legacy he left within the Marine Corps, specifically through his time in training and while stationed at Camp Pendleton,” Trevor Wessman-Lavelle, director of communications at Mt. Soledad Memorial Association, told Military.com. “His actions in Vietnam set a benchmark for courage that is still taught and revered there, at MCRD San Diego, and throughout the Marine Corps.
“Additionally, his life and service embody the immigrant contribution to our liberty, which is central to our ‘250 Years of Valor’ campaign. As an Irish immigrant who chose to enlist in the Marine Corps to defend his adopted country during the Vietnam War, Cpl. Gallagher represents the diversity of the American experience.”
Although encouraged by his sisters to leave the U.S. to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, Gallagher—a green card holder who was eligible to be drafted—decided to stay put. He was selected to enter combat, enlisting Nov 5., 1965. Records indicate that after he was drafted, he visited his family in Ireland for about three weeks but never mentioned that he would soon be fighting in Vietnam.
That was the last time he saw his family.
Jumping on a Grenade Leads to Navy Cross
Gallagher’s heroics occurred more than 60 years ago.
In April 1966, he was operating with Company H of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, conducting Operation Hastings. On the night of July 18, while in a forward position at Cam Lo, near the North Vietnamese border, an enemy grenade was thrown near him and three fellow Marines who were all asleep.
Gallagher kicked the grenade away. Then, another enemy grenade landed in the vicinity—prompting him to cover it with his body to absorb the explosion and save his fellow Marines. He then threw that grenade into a river, where it immediately exploded. Nobody was harmed.
On Feb. 19, 1967, Gallagher was presented the Navy Cross—the second-highest military award—by Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. Forces in Vietnam (and later Army chief of staff). He was meritoriously promoted to corporal, reportedly being told that if the grenade incident was fatal, it would have led to Gallagher receiving a Medal of Honor.
A Life Ended Much Too Soon
Gallagher, following his bravery, was on the precipice of leaving Vietnam and returning to the U.S.
That was until March 30, 1967, roughly six weeks after receiving the Navy Cross, when he volunteered to join a patrol to help provide security for local rice farmers under threat of attack in DaLoc, near Da Nang. It was the day before Gallagher was scheduled to leave the country.
Viet Cong forces ambushed Gallagher and his team, killing him and seven others. Gallagher, after nearly a year overseas, died at age 23. Rather than come home on April 14, 1967, he was buried in Ireland.
The “High Ground” at Mt. Soledad references the unique geography of the memorial, Wessman-Lavelle told Military.com, tied to the strategic imperative of “holding the high ground.” The location provides a 360-degree vantage point over the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, and the city.
“And still, today, it is both a literal and metaphorical place to look out over the country our veterans fought to protect,” he said. “It is a place of peace, reflection, and honor that stands above all. The ‘High Ground’ also serves as a bridge of shared values.
“Ireland has a long history of Irish-born citizens serving in the armed forces of other nations, especially here in the U.S. By honoring him here, we proclaim his story as not simply an Irish or American one, but a shared story of sacrifice.”
It is the highest honor we can offer, placing his name alongside others who also demonstrated unwavering commitment to the promise of America.
Choosing Gallagher made sense, he added, tying it to the local Irish-American community, particularly the local Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. Gallagher’s story “was a perfect fit,” especially for a city like San Diego that boasts the West Coast’s largest active-duty and veteran communities, in addition to the largest commercial and industrial complexes serving the military.
“By coordinating this dedication with his family’s journey from Ireland, the USS Patrick Gallagher’s upcoming commissioning, as well as our partnership with the San Diego Padres, we are ensuring that his story and what it stands for is both felt and celebrated to the depth it deserves throughout the San Diego community,” Wessman-Lavelle said.
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