Reed Presents Local Vietnam Veteran with Combat Action Ribbon

CRANSTON, RI –U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today hosted a special medal ceremony for local Vietnam veteran and former Warren Fire Chief, Alexander “Al” Galinelli.
Chief Galinelli served four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy from September 1965 to September 1969. He served aboard theUSS Waldron(DD-699), a 2200-tonAllen M. Sumner-class destroyer that was commissioned in June 1944 and arrived in Vietnamese waters on July 24, 1967, to provide gunfire support for various operations onshore.
TheUSS Waldronearned one battle star for service during the Vietnam conflict, signifying meritorious participation in combat or a specific campaign.
Senator Reed today presented Chief Galinelli with theCombat Action Ribbon (CAR)he earned while serving aboard theUSS Waldron. The CAR is a military honor that was established by the Department of the Navy during the height of the Vietnam War. It is both the most highly regulated and most retroactively awarded honor in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
“Chief Al Galinelli is a true patriot that has dedicated his life to service, from standing a post for freedom during Vietnam to saving countless lives here at home in Warren. I am honored to present him with the military honors he earned through his dedicated service to our nation. A grateful nation and a proud state gives our eternal thanks to Chief Galinelli and his family,” said Senator Reed.
“I want to thank Senator Reed and his staff for helping to ensure that the military honors I earned in Vietnam were finally delivered to me today,” said Chief Galinelli. “Service has always been very important to my family, on both my mother’s and father’s sides. I am proud that these awards will forever be a part of my family’s history.”
After his time in the Navy, Chief Galinelli returned home to Rhode Island and worked in maintenance at Brown University before becoming a firefighter at the U.S. Naval Station Newport. After becoming a fire captain, he left to fulfill his lifelong dream of serving as a firefighter in Warren, where he later became chief. Chief Galinelli retired from the Warren Fire Department after a total of 52 years of service, including nearly three decades as Warren’s fire chief.
Chief Galinelli is the father of two daughters, Lisa and Amy, a proud grandfather to three, and a great-grandfather to two. He currently resides in Warren with his partner of many years, Sue Annarummo.
In addition to the Combat Action Ribbon, Senator Reed today presented Mr. Galinelli with theNational Defense Service Medal;Vietnam Service Medalwith one bronze service star; and theHonorable Discharge Button.