Navy to Christen Future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) in Bath, Maine

The U.S. Navy will christen the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) at 11:00 EST on Saturday, July 27, in Bath, Maine. The ceremony will honor Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, a Vietnam War hero who received the Navy Cross for his valor. He displayed extraordinary courage when he threw an enemy grenade into a river to save his fellow Marines, an act that exemplified his bravery and selflessness. Tragically, Gallagher was killed in action a year later.

The Honorable Sean Fleming, Ireland’s Minister of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs (International Development and Diaspora), will deliver the principal address at the ceremony. Other notable speakers include U.S. Senator Susan Collins of Maine; Gen. Christopher Mahoney, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Sean Coffey, General Counsel of the Navy; Vice Adm. Darse E. “Del” Crandall, Jr., Judge Advocate General of the Navy; and Charles F. Krugh, President of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.

In a traditional Navy christening, the ship’s sponsors, Teresa Gallagher Keegan, Rosemarie Gallagher, and Pauline Gallagher—sisters of the ship’s namesake—will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the ship’s bow.

The USS Patrick Gallagher is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, known for being the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. These ships are highly capable and versatile, conducting a wide range of operations from peacetime presence to national security missions. They are designed to provide a variety of warfighting capabilities across air, surface, and subsurface domains, helping to defend American interests and promote peace worldwide.

This christening marks the first Navy ship named in honor of Cpl. Patrick Gallagher. The Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, highlighted Gallagher’s bravery and the significant role the new destroyer will play in the U.S. Navy.

For more information, media inquiries can be directed to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. Additional details on the guided-missile destroyer program are available at Navy Fact Files.