On 18 July 1966, L.Cpl. Patrick Gallagher while serving in a forward position at Cam Lo, Vietnam threw himself on an enemy grenade, willing at the cost of his life to absorb the full brunt of the explosion to save his fellow Marines. The grenade, while pinned under Gallagher's body, did not go off. Gallagher lay on the grenade despite being under active enemy attack until all his comrades were safe; he then rolled off the grenade and threw it, where it immediately exploded.
Though an act of valor worthy of the Medal of Honor, L.Cpl. Gallagher's recommendation was wrongly downgraded to a Navy Cross because it had not killed him. Sadly, L.Cpl. Gallagher was later to die in Vietnam. We call for L.Cpl. Gallagher's heroism to be fully and correctly recognized with the Medal of Honor.