The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-23
Navy Department Honors
Lieut.. D. w. Gillette

BOSTON, Sept. IA destroyer
escort to be launched this week
from the Bethlehem Steel COM
pany's Fore River shipyard,
Quincy, Mass, will be named in
honor of 1t. (jg) Douglas Wiley
Gillette, U.S.N. r., son of Col.
George W. Gillette, New England
division engineer, in Boston, Mass.
Mrs. Pearl M. Gillette, mother of
the navy hero, will christen the
ship.
1t is the policy of the navy de.
partment to name these ships af-
ter navy heroes just as the larger
destroyers are named. Lieutenant
Gillette, for whom this destroyer
escort will be named, was an Of
ficer on the aircraft carrier Hor-
net on its missions in the Pa
cific theater. The Hornet launched
General Doolitue's planes on their
bombing flig,-t over Tokyo and
took an important part in the bat
tie of Midway. 1t was in four
major engagements before being
destroyed in the battle of Santa
Cruz by an aerial torpedo from a
Japanese planes, the last of six
that attacked the ship.
During the engagement, Lieu
tenant Gillette was at his battle
station on the third deck when a
1000 pound aerial torpedo. drop
ped on the carrier by a japanese
plane in suicide dive, struck the
deck and pierced through to his
station. The enlisted men in the
group had been ordered to take
cover and most of them escaped
serious injury.
Lieutenant Gillette was born in
Wilmington, N. c., September u,
1918, the day on which mis- father
received his citation and the Sill
yer Star for extraordinary hero
ism at the battle of the Somme
He was eight months old before
mis- father returned from France
He was educated in the public
schools In Wilmington and attend
ed New Hanover High school fol
two years, leaving for Hawaii il
1888, where he later graduated
He went to the University of Nortt
Carolina and later transferred tt
| George Washington university il
Washington, where he was active
in many school functions. His edu
cation was completed at North
western university. In September
l941, he entered the navy, and or
October /, 1912, he was promoted
from the rank of ensign.
He is survived by his father
and mother, Colonel and Mrs
George w. Gillette; one brother
1t. (jg) George Gillette, Jr, civl
engineers, U.S.N.: and one sister
Mrs. John A. Miller, wife of Ma
ior Miller, corps of engineers, Fl
Belvoir, Va.
Colonel Gillette, native of On
slow county and a prominent
North Carolinian, served as U. S
District Engineer for North Caro-
lima, with headquarters in Will
mlngton from 1888 through 1910
leaving to organize the Engineer
Replacement Training Center al
Fort Belvoir, Virginia. where he
later became Executive Officer
While stationed IN North Carolina
he contributed many advanced
ideas for planning and develop
ing the natural resources of the
eastern seaboard and was the
first to call attention to the un
guarded coast line of the Caro-
linas. Previously. he was assistant
director of public buildings ano
parks of the District of Colun.
bia, and from 1886 to 1888, before
assuming his duties as Wilmington
district engineer, he was in charge
OF the construction division with
the office of the chief of engineers
Colonel Gillette left Fl. Belvoi1
to take over mis- new duties Of
Boston district engineer in Bos
ton, Mass, in October, 1912. Or
December 10, last year, he be.
came New England division engi.
neer in charge of army construc.
ton, real estate, river and harbor
Improvements and flood control
for the New England area.