A decorated soldier who participated in major military actions spanning three decades and spent the last few years of his life helping fellow wounded warriors.
Learn MoreParachuted into Panama during Operation Just Cause, served as a platoon sergeant with Task Force Ranger in the Mogadishu, Somalia, battle made famous by "Black Hawk Down," and fought on despite being wounded as Task Force 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry, made its way to Baghdad in 2003.
Gallagher began his tour with the Wounded Warrior Program nearly 20 years after Somalia and almost a decade after Iraq. While family and co-workers said some of the office work and ribbon-cuttings didn’t appeal to him, they said he relished the chance to help others who understood the trauma of combat.
Gallagher was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1962 and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey before joining the Army in 1981. During his distinguished career he earned a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars (one with "V" device) and two Purple Hearts, among other awards and decorations.
