Schumer Pushing To Have Ship Named For L.I. Vietnam Hero

On Monday, Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the U.S. Navy to posthumously honor USMC Corporal Patrick "Bob" Gallagher — the winner of the prestigious Navy Cross and an Irish immigrant from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo who settled in Lynbrook in 1962, volunteered on the senate campaign of Bobby Kennedy and later joined the Marines — by naming a Navy ship in his honor. While serving in Vietnam, Corporal Gallagher earned a Navy Cross, the nation’s second-highest military award, for his extraordinary heroism during a surprise attack.

"There is a powerful and growing chorus of supporters from Ballyhaunis to Brooklyn who support naming a United States Navy destroyer after Corporal Patrick 'Bob' Gallagher, a Vietnam war hero from County Mayo, and I am proud today to add my voice to this very worthy cause," Schumer said.

Patrick Gallagher was an immigrant from the Irish town of Ballyhaunis in County Mayo and moved to Lynbrook in 1962. Four years later, Gallagher joined the Marines and was stationed in Vietnam. One night, during the first year of his tour, Corporal Gallagher was involved in a surprise attack by enemy fighters.

While his fellow soldiers slept, adversaries invaded the area and lobbed grenades into the middle of their camp. Heedless of the risk posed to himself, Gallagher kicked a grenade away from the area in which his fellow soldiers were sleeping. When another grenade followed, Gallagher threw himself on the grenade in order to absorb the explosion and save the lives of his comrades. Using his quick wits, he was able to throw the grenade he was lying on into a nearby river and escape the situation without injury. Gallagher was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery during the attack.

In 1967, Gallagher was killed in action on his last scheduled day in Vietnam. Not yet a citizen, Schumer said that Corporal Patrick Gallagher made the ultimate sacrifice for his adopted nation. Gallagher is one of more than 30 Irish citizens killed in the Vietnam War. Senator Bobby Kennedy, whom Gallagher volunteered for before deploying to Vietnam, wrote a personal letter to Gallagher’s family upon his death, praising Gallagher for his fearlessness.

In a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, Schumer asked that the next available destroyer ship be named for Gallagher.

"The courage and bravery of our fallen soldiers, including those immigrants who have made the ultimate sacrifice even before they have received citizenship, is the American dream manifest," Schumer said. "Corporal Gallagher’s breathtaking bravery and selflessness deserves to be memorialized, and naming a Navy ship after Corporal Gallagher would be the perfect tribute to recognize this Irish-American hero — on behalf of a people who have contributed so mightily to the greatness of our nation. It would also duly recognize the deep love so many immigrants from every corner of the world have for America, and serve as an appropriate memorial for the countless newcomers to this nation who love America so much they are willing to serve this nation in our Armed Forces – and even to die for it."

According to Schumer, there is precedence for honoring immigrant soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 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 Gallagher. Also, Schumer has long supported honoring new Americans for their service. For instance, Schumer introduced the Posthumous Citizenship Act, granting citizenship to brave soldiers and sailors who have died fighting for their adopted homeland.

Schumer said that 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 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," Schumer said. A petition in support of the naming, which was started in 2013, has surpassed its goal of 10,000 signatures.

Photo: Irish Defense Forces Magazine