Thomas M. Hannigan

In 1964, "Tommy" Hannigan graduated from Roman Catholic High School, where he worked on the student newspaper and sang in the Glee Club. "He always gave more than he received," his younger brother said, recalling that Hannigan spent much of his time reading, chasing girls and driving him and his sisters around in his �57 Plymouth. Before enlisting in the Army in March 1966, Hannigan worked as a machinist. He was sent to Vietnam in August 1966 and assigned to Company A of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. The 20-year-old specialist four, a light weapons infantryman, felt it was necessary to be in Vietnam, but could not wait to go home and hoped his brother would not have to go through what he had. Though wounded twice, he bore no malice toward the Vietnamese. Hannigan died near the Cambodian border on March 31, 1967, while saving a wounded medic. The medic, William Jones, wrote to Hannigan�s parents after be recovered to tell them their son had saved his life. Jones said Hannigan was administering morphine to him when Hannigan was fatally wounded by sniper fire. "I saw Tom at Mass all the time, so I guess he was Catholic," Jones wrote. "I said an Act of Contrition in his ear . . . I don�t think Tom needed it, though, because he was always good. He never had a bad word for anyone." Hannigan was survived by his parents, a brother and three sisters.