Patrick Aloysius Connolly – Colonel, United States Army

Patrick Aloysius Connolly of Ireland

• Served as Private, F Company, 21st U. S. Infantry, 24 July 1893 to 23 October 1896
• Private and Corporal, F Company, 21st U. S. Infantry, 7 November 1896 to 6 July 1898
• Second Lieutenant, 5th U. S. Artillery, 22 June 1898
• Transferred to the 21st U. S. Infantry, 24 December 1898
• First Lieutenant, 2 March 1899

CONNOLLY, PATRICK A.

• First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
• 21st Infantry
• Date of Action: December 23, 1901
• General Orders No. No. 17, W.D., 1924
• Home Town: Springfield, Massachusetts

Citation:

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Patrick A. Connolly, First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near San Jose, Batangas, Luzon, Philippine Islands, December 23, 1901.

While leading his detachment of seven men in an attack against a band of 23 insurgent bolomen, which resulted in a desperate hand-to-hand encounter, Lieutenant Connolly displayed personal bravery, courage, and leadership qualities of the highest order, and despite a severe wound on the head received early in the engagement he heroically continued the fight until all the enemy were killed.

CONNOLLY, PATRICK A.

• COL USA
• DATE OF DEATH: 05/21/1946
• BURIED AT: SECTION 6  SITE 9194
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard