William Joseph Barragy

William Joseph Barragy lived in Mason City during his youth and moved to Rockwell then to Waterloo. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Waterloo before attending Loras College in Dubuque. Barragy later became a Catholic priest after completing his studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, MD. He served as a priest for parishes in Dubuque and Waterloo before joining the Army in 1953. MAJ Barragy served in the Army for 12 years before his death, completing tours in Korea, Germany, and Okinawa. On May 4, 1966 the chaplain’s CH47 Chinook helicopter crashed and burned while on a mission in Vietnam, all 21 passengers were killed in the incident. A remembrance was held at St. Edmunds Catholic Church and his body was buried in the Calvary Cemetery, both in Waterloo.