USS Gilligan ( DE - 508 ) USS Gilligan ( DE - 508 ) was a " John C . Butler " - class destroyer escort acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II . The primary purpose of the destroyer escort was to escort and protect ships in convoy , in addition to other tasks as assigned , such as patrol or radar picket . After the war , she proudly returned home with one battle star to her credit . " Gilligan " ( DE - 508 ) was named in honor of John Joseph Gilligan , Jr . , who was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery on Tulagi , in the Solomon Islands . She was launched 22 February 1944 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co . , Newark , New Jersey ; sponsored by Mrs . John J . Gilligan , the namesake ' s mother ; and commissioned 12 May 1944 , Lt . Comdr . Carl E . Bull , USNR , commanding . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . Following shakedown off Bermuda , " Gilligan " escorted a troopship from New York to Maine and sailed from Norfolk , Virginia , 5 August 1944 to escort an LSD to Pearl Harbor , arriving 30 August . Underway 29 September to escort merchantmen to Eniwetok , she put in at Majuro 13 October and from 16 – 27 October 1944 escorted merchantmen to Kwajalein , bombarded Mille Atoll and Jaluit Island , and sank a Japanese schooner , before returning to Majuro the latter date . Loss of the Mississinewa . " Gilligan " sailed 1 November to escort merchantmen to Eniwetok and Saipan , subsequently mooring at Ulithi 17 November . Three days later , on 20 November , fleet oiler — loaded with more than 400 , 000 gallons of aviation gasoline — was torpedo ed inside Ulithi lagoon with a loss of 50 officers and men . Seconds later , " Gilligan " saw a miniature Japanese submarine pass close alongside ; with other ships she depth charge d within the lagoon and possibly damaged one midget . Destroyer rammed and sank another outside the harbor , and Marine planes finished off a third the same day . " Gilligan " sailed 4 December as a steamship escort to Manus and conducted patrols off Bougainville from that port until 31 December 1944 when she departed Manus to escort troopships bound for Lingayen Gulf , arriving in time for D - Day , 9 January 1945 . Although in constant danger from enemy air attacks , the destroyer escort supported the assault , screened for Attack Group Able of VADM Wilkinson ' s Task Force 79 , and made smoke . Struck by a kamikaze . " Gilligan " came under kamikaze attack 12 January . A sailor under fire from the attacking plane leaped from his post onto the main battery director and threw it off target , a mistake which prevented the 5 - inch guns from getting off more than 1 round although it was able to fire an additional 13 rounds thirty minutes later at a second plane that dived into the USS Suesens ( DE - 342 ) . The kamikaze crashed directly into the muzzles of " Gilligan ' s " No . 2 40 mm gun , killing 12 men ( 10 missing in action , 1 killed in action , and 1 who died of his injuries shortly after the attack ) and wounding 13 , and started raging fires . Outstanding damage control kept the ship seaworthy ; she put in at Leyte 17 January for repairs , subsequently reaching Pearl Harbor 21 February for overhaul . Supporting Okinawa operations . " Gilligan " sailed again 29 March 1945 as an antisubmarine convoy escort and closed the western beaches of Okinawa 17 April to commence antiaircraft and antisubmarine screening around the transport anchorage . The Japanese were at this time using every conceivable means — kamikazes , submarines , swimmers , and motor boats — to destroy the assembled ships . In spite of heavy air attacks she engaged in screening and escort duties for transports , splashed at least five attacking planes , and possibly damaged a submarine . Struck by a torpedo which did not go off . On 27 May her luck almost ran out ; a torpedo bomber hit her solidly with a torpedo , which fortunately was a dud . " Gilligan " returned to Ulithi 25 June and sailed again 6 July on merchantmen escort duty to Leyte and Hollandia and subsequently closed Manila where she was attached to the Philippine Sea Frontier . End - of - war activity . On 16 August she sailed to escort merchantmen to Okinawa , returning to Manila 27 August , and repeated this voyage 29 August – 25 September 1945 . Underway from Manila 5 November , " Gilligan " reached San Pedro , California , 26 November for overhaul . She was towed to San Diego 14 April 1946 and was placed out of commission in reserve at that port 2 July 1946 . Reactivated as a training ship . " Gilligan " recommissioned in reserve 15 July 1950 at Seattle , Washington , and conducting reserve cruises in Pacific Northwest waters , and voyages thence to the Fleet Sonar School at San Diego . Training cruises brought her twice to Hawaii , once to Acapulco , Mexico , and once to the Panama Canal Zone Also as a training ship in Portland , OR in 1958 , with a cruise to Alaska . before she decommissioned 31 March 1959 at Point Astoria , Oregon . " Gilligan " remained out of commission in reserve at Bremerton , Washington . On 1 March 1972 she was struck from the Navy list and , on 20 November 1973 , she was sold for scrapping . Military awards . " Gilligan " earned one battle star for World War II service . References . Declassified Action Report , USS Gilligan DE - 508 January 12 , 1945 by C . E . Bull Lt . Commdr USNR