Young Ballyhaunis man who died in Vietnam war to be remembered in his hometown next March
- Details
A young Ballyhaunis man, who died in the Vietnam war almost 50 years ago, will be remembered in his hometown next March, when the Patrick Gallagher Memorial Weekend will take place in Ballyhaunis.
Patrick Gallagher from Derrintogher, Ballyhaunis left for the United States in 1965, at the age of 17.
He enlisted in the US army and served during the Vietnam war.
He was awarded the Navy Cross- the second highest honour in the US military.
Unknown to his family, he later returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty, and was killed during a hand grenade attack.
He was awarded full military honours for his funeral in Ballyhaunis.
The 30th March 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of his death, and in conjunction with family members, the town of Ballyhaunis will honour the achievements of Corporal Patrick Gallagher by holding a Memorial weekend.
meanwhile this Saturday, the Documentary on RTE Radio One tells the story of Patrick Gallagher.
“Mayo Boy, Vietnam Hero” is the title of Kathy Raftery’s documentary which will be broadcast on Radio One at 2pm on Saturday.
