THE WALL OF FACES

Catholic Chaplain; Three Other Area GI's Killed in Vietnam War

Army Sp/4 Joseph T. Gallagher, 20, of 6045 Chester ave.
Sp/4 Gallagher, had planned to marry his fiance, Joanne Harvey, 20, of 2045 S. 22nd st., upon his discharge next January.

WANTED TO SERVE

"He didn't have to go," said a brother, James, 39. "He was sole support of my mother and grandmother. But he didn't want to use that as an excuse. He said once that every boy should serve his country."
The 1965 graduate of West Catholic High School was killed February 20 by hostile enemy fire.
His last letters, mailed to his mother and his fiance, were dated February 14, Valentine's Day. The letters, he said would have to do as Valentine's Day cards because fancier greetings weren't available.

SURVIVORS LISTED

Survivors include his mother, Anna; three brothers, James, Daniel and Harry, Jr., and three sisters, Margaret, Mary, and Renee.

Photo and article appeared in part in The Philadelphia Inquirer on February 27, 1968. The Chaplain and the other 2 area men KIA's mentioned in the article were 1LT Robert R. Brett, USN, of Collingdale and Army SP4 Ray D. Cropper of Philadelphia and Army PFC James A. Anderson of Chester PA.

Joseph T. Gallagher
Chester Avenue, West Philadelphia

Gallagher was nicknamed “Gal” by friends in the Class of 1965 at West Catholic High School, where he was a member of the swim team for four years. He attended St. Joseph’s College briefly, but left to help support his family when his father died. The youngest of seven children, Gallagher was working as a Du Pont Company lab technician when he was drafted into the Army in January 1967. The 20-year-old specialist four, a rifleman, was sent to Vietnam and assigned to Company C of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. He died on February 20, 1968. Survivors included his mother, three brothers and three sisters.
... from The Philadelphia Daily News