World War II Honoree

Patrick M. Gahagan, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Honored By

Kevin P. Gahagan

Relationship

Son

PILOT, B-17; 1ST LIEUTENANT. COMPLETED 21 COMBAT MISSIONS WITH A TOTAL OF 155.25 COMBAT HOURS AS PILOT OF A B-17 HEAVY BOMBER. ENGAGED IN TACTICAL AND STRATEGIC RAIDS ON ENEMY TARGETS IN THE EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN THEATERS OF OPERATION. SUPERVISED A CREW OF SPECIALISTS WHILE IN FLIGHT. FLEW WITH 301ST BOMB GROUP HEAVY, 353RD BOMB SQUADRON, 15TH AIR FORCE, BASED IN FOGGIA, ITALY. AIR COMBAT CAMPAIGNS FLOWN: BALKANS, RHINELAND, NORTHERN APENNINES, PO VALLEY AND CENTRAL EUROPE. AWARDED AIR MEDAL WITH TEN OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, PURPLE HEART ON FEBRUARY 1, 1945, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION AND EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH FIVE BATTLE STARS.