Military shaped New Port Richey man's life

By Stephanie Hayes, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, May 3, 2008

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NEW PORT RICHEY — The military cases tugged at James Hannigan's heart.

In his time as a social worker, he saw it all — children who lost parents in war, families struggling on one salary, people seeking benefits. He pushed hard for them, because he understood.

The military shaped the chapters of his own life.

• • •

He was a teenager with dreams to see the world when he joined the Army in 1968. He was thrust into the Vietnam War.

"He was in the infantry as a private, straight off the street, right into the jungle," said his son-in-law, Chuck Morris. "He thought about it quite often. There was nothing that could really compare to what he had seen in Vietnam."

He stayed pro-military. Over a 25-year career, the Army took him into the Persian Gulf War. It took him to Fort Campbell, Ky. It took him to Donna's Den, a local bar where soldiers hung out and drank.

He took a shine to the owner, who just like him, was divorced with children. She had a strict no-customer dating policy. But he persisted. He was tall, handsome, nicely dressed, sweet to his kids.

"I broke all my policies," said Donna Hannigan.

• • •

He had seven grandchildren, ages 11 to 22. He had a newborn great-granddaughter.

He wasn't even 60.

The family is a complex blend of stepchildren, adopted children, in-laws. But Mr. Hannigan never liked those kind of tags. His family was his family, no matter how you did the math.

"They weren't his or mine, they were just ours," said Mrs. Hannigan, 57.

He relished being a young grandfather. He went to scout meetings and softball games. He screamed with them at Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles games. He bragged them up to everyone.

He was a member of the VFW and recalled his war adventures often. But the traumatic flashes came back, too. He used drinking to cope, his family said. He knew many veterans who did the same.

"It was one of the ways to get away from the anxiety and anger built up," said Morris, 40. "That's how he would push it away."

Mr. Hannigan died Tuesday of cirrhosis. He was 57.

• • •

He loved to talk shop with his grandsons.

Mr. Hannigan would tell them about his time as a "ground pounder," or infantry. He'd sling his favorite saying, "Let's pop smoke." It's what soldiers yelped to get out of a situation. He told them how he was proud to serve.

Two grandsons, Charles, 22, and Daniel, 19, listened. They're serving overseas now, one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8857.