DOB/DOD: October 13, 1923 (Kansas City, MO) – May 4, 1966; 42 years old
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
COLLEGE: Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained on May 22, 1948, at Loras. He was the second priest from the Archdiocese of Dubuque to die during wartime. A generation earlier, a Navy chaplain, Father Aloysius Schmitt of St. Lucas in Fayette County, died aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
SERVICE NUMBER: O-2268967
ENLISTMENT: June 12, 1953
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 75310 = Chaplain (Airborne Qualified)
TOUR START DATE: July 8, 1965
UNIT: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
CASUALTY LOCATION: Quang Duc Province, South Vietnam
ON THE WALL: Panel 7E, Line 22
FAMILY: Born to Doctor Joseph C. (1887-1953) and Alice Meany Barragy (1891-1987). Two sisters, Frances E. Barragy Grace (1919-2015) and Mary A. Barragy Meisch (1921-1990).
OTHER: Awarded the Legion of Merit posthumously.
CIRCUMSTANCES: On May 4, 1966, a U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A (tail number 64-13138) from the 147th Assault Support Helicopter Company (“Hill Climbers”) crashed during a combat mission 13 nautical miles northwest of Nhon Co while deploying to a forward base. The passengers were from the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry of the 101st Infantry Division. One of the passengers was the 1st Brigade’s Roman Catholic chaplain, Major William J. Barragy. Eyewitnesses agreed for the most part that there were flames coming from the rear of the aircraft, and it seemed to have no forward airspeed and was spinning and falling straight down. The technical report suggested that the combining transmission failure, excessive heat, and fire caused the #2 drive shaft to separate. The resulting fire may have been ingested into the remaining engine, causing a loss of power, SAS (Stability Augmentation System), and aircraft electrical systems. There is evidence that the pilot attempted to flare the helicopter prior to impact to no avail; the aircraft crashed on its left side and was consumed by fire. There were no survivors. [From vhpa.org and armyaircrews.com]
St Mary’s High School, Waterloo (later Columbus High School) Class of 1941?
Photo not found
Loras College Class of 1945 yearbook
Posted by Walt Williams on VVMF Wall of Faces
A Real Living Saint
You gave comfort to a very frightened 18-year-old before his first combat assault. You prayed over the dead of both friend and foe, reminding me that we are all the children of God. You were always there when I needed the courage to go on. You were my guardian angel. I was there when they pulled your body from the wreckage of that Chinook along with 20 other brave souls. May 4th will always be a day of mourning for me as long as I live.
From the Courier (Waterloo, IA) on May 6, 1966
FATHER BARRAGY, CHAPLAIN IN VIETNAM, IS MISSING
Helicopter Crashed on Mission
The Reverend Father William Barragy, a United States Army chaplain with the rank of Major, who formerly served at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Waterloo as assistant pastor for 2½ years, has been missing in Vietnam since May 4, as a result of a helicopter crash while on a mission. Word that the former Waterloo priest was missing was received Thursday by his mother, Mrs. Alice Barragy of 1315 Prospect Blvd. Father Barragy has been with the 101st Airborne unit headquarters First Brigade. He has been in the service of the army for 12 years. He entered the service in 1953 and has had three other tours of duty, one in Korea, one in Germany, and one in Okinawa. Father Barragy was due back in Waterloo this July on rotation. His mother received the report while visiting with a daughter, Mrs. James Grace, in Tampa, Florida. Major Barragy has another sister in Waterloo, Mrs. Norbert Meisch, 230 Independence Avenue. A native of Kansas City, Father Barragy. is a son of the late Dr. J. C. Barragy and Mrs. Alice Barragy of Waterloo. Father Barragy was ordained at Dubuque on May 22, 1948, after studying for the priesthood at Loras College, Dubuque, and St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore.
From the Courier (Waterloo, IA) on May 9, 1966
BARRAGY’S COPTER DOWN IN JUNGLE
Chaplain Lost in Flaming Crash
SAIGON — A Roman Catholic chaplain. Major William Barragy of Waterloo, Iowa, was one of 21 persons aboard a U.S. Army helicopter which crashed in heavy jungle about 110 miles northeast of Saigon last Wednesday night. A military spokesman in Saigon said Sunday, 21 bodies were found at the crash site, but that some were so badly burned that positive identification has not been made. The spokesman said that the chaplain, therefore, officially is
listed as missing in action. The helicopter, a CH-47 Chinook, crashed about 20 miles west of Gia Nghia. It has not been determined whether enemy fire downed it or whether operational failure caused the crash. Initial reports said the craft burst into flames in the air. Most of the passengers aboard the helicopter were soldiers who had just arrived in South Vietnam from the United States and were being transported to battle for the first time. Major Barragy was attached to the 101st Airborne Division. Military records in Saigon list the death of only one other American chaplain in the Vietnamese conflict. He suffered a fatal heart attack last year.
From the Courier (Waterloo, IA) on November 22, 1966
FATHER BARRAGY HONORED FOR WAR SERVICE
Chaplain Killed in Vietnam is Cited
Chaplain Major William J. Barragy, U.S. Army, has received one of the nation’s highest military honors for “exceptionally meritorious conduct” in Vietnam prior to his death in a helicopter crash there last May 4. The Legion of Merit medal was presented posthumously to his mother, Mrs. Alice Barragy, 1315 Prospect Blvd. November 18, by direction of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
In citing the Roman Catholic priest’s duty with the 101st Airborne Division, the award stated:
“.. Chaplain Barragy, through his personal devotion and professionalism, inspired the highest type of service from his fellow chaplains and dedication to duty from the troops during his tenure as brigade chaplain. “He was always available when needed, whether in garrison or combat, and provided spiritual comfort and personal counseling in a clearly outstanding manner. Chaplain Barragy maintained contact with local missionaries and benevolent groups as an aid to the brigade in its civic action programs. He was constantly with the troops, whether under fire, encouraging the men to renewed efforts, or at an aid station consoling the wounded and administering to the dying.”
Father Barragy was one of 21 soldiers killed in a flaming crash. 110 miles northeast of Saigon, while enroute with reinforcements sent to strengthen elements of the 101st Airborne. He had been an Army chaplain since 1953 and previously had served in Korea, Germany, and Okinawa.
From The Witness (official publication of the Archdiocese of Dubuque) on December 8, 1966
PRESIDENTIAL CITATION FOR CHAPLAIN BARRAGY
WASHINGTON, DC – Chaplain William C. Barragy, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque killed last May in Vietnam, has been awarded posthumously the Legion of Merit by President Johnson. Father Barragy died in a helicopter crash on May 4 along with 21 other soldiers. He had been an Army chaplain since 1953.
The presidential citation reads as follows:
“Chaplain (Major) William J. Barragy, O-2268967, Chaplain Corps, United States Army, distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services during the period January 1965 through May 1906 while serving as Brigade Chaplain of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and in the Republic of Vietnam.
“Chaplain Barragy, through his personal devotion and professionalism, inspired the highest type of service from his fellow chaplains and dedication to duty from the troops during his tenure as brigade chaplain. He was always available when needed, whether in garrison or combat, and so
provided spiritual comfort and personal counseling in a clearly outstanding manner. After the brigade was alerted for movement to the Republic of Vietnam, Chaplain Barragy efficiently and conscientiously resolved the increased personal problems, as well as forming a special society for paratroopers – the Catholic Trooper Society—at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.”
The chaplain arranged for a visit to the brigade by His Eminence, Francis Cardinal Spellman, the Bishop of the Military Ordinariate and the Archdiocese of New York. This event gave the entire brigade a heightened awareness that the spiritual leadership of the nation was behind their mission.”
Once in the Republic of Vietnam, Chaplain Barragy maintained contact with local missionaries and benevolent groups as an aid to the brigade in its civic action programs. With few exceptions, Chaplain Barragy personally provided Catholic services for the entire brigade in the Republic of Vietnam. He was constantly with the troops, whether under fire, encouraging the men to renewed efforts, or at an aid station consoling the wounded and administering to the dying.”
“Chaplain Barragy’s personal bravery inspired the troops to carry on under the most adverse conditions. His dedication and untiring devotion enkindled in them a deep respect for the ideals for which the brigade was fighting. Chaplain Barragy’s professional competence and outstanding services were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
From The Witness (official publication of the Archdiocese of Dubuque) on May 8, 2011
By Steve McMahon | Witness Staff Writer
DUBUQUE — Like the title of his documentary suggests, the first chaplain to die in the Vietnam War has not been forgotten.
Father William Barragy, a Dubuque Archdiocesan priest, was killed 45 years ago — May 4, 1966 — in a helicopter crash with 20 men on a mission for the 101st Airborne Division – the “Screaming Eagles.” The incident took place northeast of Saigon in South Vietnam. Burial was in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Waterloo.
A 35-minute documentary on the priest, “..But Not Forgotten,” released in 2009, is still available from the Educational Resource Center at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center; part of a series of documentaries on archdiocesan priests co-produced by Loras College Productions and the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
A monument to 83 Catholic chaplains who died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam was dedicated on May 21, 1989, in the Memorial Amphitheater, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Father Barragy’s name is among those etched on the monument.
The priest was posthumously honored with the Legion of Merit. The monument’s inscription reads, “May God Grant Peace To Them And To The Nation They Served So Well.”
Father Barragy was born on October 13, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri. As a boy, he lived in
Mason City, where he attended Holy Family School. His family moved to Rockwell, where he attended Sacred Heart Academy. He later attended St. Mary’s High School in Waterloo, then Loras College. After completing his theological studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, he was ordained on May 22, 1948, at Christ the King Chapel at Loras College.
He served as associate pastor of St. Raphael Cathedral in Dubuque, 1948-50, and St. Edward Parish in Waterloo, 1950-53. He joined the Army Chaplain Corps in 1953 and served in Korea in addition to Vietnam.
As a paratrooper with the rank of major, he provided spiritual support for the troops. He helped build morale and offered a sense of normalcy, saying Mass and hearing confessions. He was aboard a CH-47 Chinook, bringing reinforcements to the front lines of a battle, when he lost his
life at the age of 42 as the helicopter exploded in midair and went down. His tour almost complete, he was due to return to Waterloo in July 1966.
From The Courier (Waterloo, IA) on November 8, 2020
By Pat Kinney
WATERLOO – Roman Catholic Father William Joseph Barragy of Waterloo was not a rookie chaplain when he flew into battle on May 4, 1966 — the last day of his life. He’d served 13 years in the Army and had attained the rank of major. He’d served overseas in Germany. By May 1966, he was in South Vietnam, a chaplain attached to the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, known as “the Screaming Eagles” for their divisional patch. The storied unit had served from D-Day to Holland to Bastogne to Berchtesgaden in World War II. He arrived in Vietnam with them in 1965, after Congress adopted a resolution authorizing President Lyndon Johnson to escalate U.S. military involvement there following an August 1964 incident involving U.S. ships in the Gulf of Tonkin off North Vietnam. He’d done humanitarian work and served troops as well as Vietnamese civilians, many of whom were Roman Catholic.
On May 4, 1966, he was flying into battle with about 20 fresh soldiers who’d just arrived “in country.” They didn’t make it. According to eyewitnesses and investigators, the helicopter caught fire from an overheated combining transmission, lost power, and crashed, 110 miles northwest of the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. Father Barragy and everyone aboard were killed.
He was the first U.S. military chaplain killed in a combat action in Vietnam. It was the second time a priest from the Archdiocese of Dubuque would be the first U.S. military chaplain to die in one of our nation’s wars. A generation earlier, a Navy chaplain, Father Aloysius Schmitt of St. Lucas in Fayette County, died aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma in the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that plunged the United States into World War II.
According to files of the Courier, the Witness newspaper of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and the archives of Loras College, Barragy, was a native of Kansas City, Missouri, but also lived in Mason City, Rockwell, and then Waterloo, where he attended St. Mary’s High School, one of three Waterloo Catholic high schools which later consolidated to form Columbus High School.
He attended Loras College in Dubuque, St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and was ordained on May 22, 1948, at Loras. His parents, the late Dr. J.C. and Alice Meany Barragy, lived on Prospect Boulevard on the city’s west side. He served parish assignments at St. Raphael’s Cathedral in Dubuque from 1948 to 1950 and at St. Edward Catholic Church in Waterloo from 1950 to 1953, after which he joined the Army.
He was also one of the first Black Hawk County residents to die in Vietnam. The first, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Robert Hibbs of Cedar Falls, had been killed in combat two months earlier, on March 5, 1966, in an action for which he would receive the Medal of Honor.
A requiem funeral Mass was held for Father Barragy at St. Edward in Waterloo. Archbishop James J. Byrne presided. Father Barragy was laid to rest at Waterloo’s Calvary Cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit, one of the nation’s highest military honors, for his service during his nearly year and a half in Vietnam.
His name is on the Black Hawk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Paramount Park outside the Courier building, as well as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and at Chaplain’s Hill at Arlington National Cemetery.
On the Iowa Vietnam Veterans Memorial, parking at 1112 E. Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa.
Buried in Calvary Cemetery, Falls Ave & Fletcher St, Waterloo, Iowa; Lot 2, 82, Space 8.
END