Bath Iron Works will christen its 41st guided missile destroyer at the shipyard this Saturday.

Lance Corporal Patrick Gallagher (left), an Irish citizen who served in the Vietnam War, will have an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer named in his honor at Bath Iron Works. Courtesy of General Dynamics

The USS Patrick Gallagher, named after an Irish citizen who served as a lance corporal for the United States during the Vietnam War, will be christened at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 27. Minister Seán Fleming for the Diaspora and Overseas Development for Ireland will attend alongside U.S. government officials, members of Congress and representatives of the U.S. Navy.

The Gallagher is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The destroyers, which cost about $2 billion apiece, are commonly called the backbone of the Navy’s fleet. They can simultaneously engage ships, submarines, aircraft and missiles.

The Maine delegation has said a larger naval fleet is a priority amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and concerns China could invade Taiwan. President Joe Biden has said the U.S. will protect Taiwan in such a scenario.

The ships have been active in the Middle East, frequently shooting down missiles and drones bound for Israel and shipping.

The keel-laying ceremony for Patrick Gallagher took place in March 2022. Gallagher’s brother and three sisters, who flew in from Ireland, attended the ceremony.

Gallagher lived on Long Island, New York, with his aunt in 1962. On Nov. 5, 1965, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps to fight in the Vietnam War. On July 18, 1966, he received the Navy Cross as an ammunition carrier for a machine-gun team serving with Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines.

Just days before his tour ended, Lance Cpl. Gallagher was killed in a firefight on March 30, 1967.

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