The USS Patrick Gallagher has commenced sea trials - a final turn before entering full service with the navy.
And the County Mayo native, Vietnam War hero and Navy Cross recipient, will be honored in San Diego this Memorial Day.
In what is described by organizers as "A Ceremony Unlike Anything Else in San Diego," Gallagher will be saluted at the annual Mt. Soledad's Memorial Day Ceremony.
The ceremony will be opened with the presentation of the colors.
Said a release: "Active duty service members carry the colors onto the field in a precise, solemn procession. Hundreds stand at attention. The National Anthem follows. It sets the tone for everything that comes after.
"A full military band fills the hillside with patriotic music between ceremony elements. The sound carries across the memorial walls — past the plaques, past the cross, out over the bay. It's something you feel as much as you hear.
"U.S. Senators, the Mayor of San Diego, and decorated military officers take the stage. Real stories. Real sacrifice. This year's ceremony honors Cpl. Patrick Gallagher — and the remarks reflect the weight of that tribute.
"Military aircraft from NAS (Naval Air Station) North Island execute the Missing Man Formation directly overhead — the formation that signals one of their own did not come home. Then the 21-gun rifle volley. Then silence. Then Taps. This is the moment people describe for the rest of their lives.
"The ceremony culminates in the unveiling of this year's honoree plaque — a permanent addition to the 10,000+ veterans memorialized on these walls. Family members are present. The moment a name is set in stone forever.
"From Coronado Island to the Tijuana hills, the Pacific to the mountains — the views from Mt. Soledad are extraordinary every day of the year."
In addition to the Mt. Soledad tribute there will be a game opening ceremony honoring Patrick Gallagher staged by the San Diego Padres baseball team.
Neil O’Connell, a former president of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, is the current director of the Mount Soledad Monument.
