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Contact Info
Home Town Cincinnati, Ohio
Last Address Former Governor Gilligan died at his home in Cincinnati, age 92. His body was donated to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Other Memories 1943-1944, Atlantic and Mediterranean
Between December 1943 and April 1944, USS Emmons guarded carriers during their operations at Newport and in Casco Bay, aiding in the training of aviators. On 20 April she sailed from Maine waters for the Azores, and Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, arriving 1 May for antisubmarine patrols. On 17 May, her group teamed with British aircraft to sink the German submarine U-616, and the next day, Emmons sailed for England, and final preparations for the invasion of France, 6 June. After guarding preassault minesweeping, she joined in the heavy bombardment prior to the landing. She remained off the beachhead for three days as watchdog for the vast armada of ships lining up with men and supplies, then retired across the English Channel to Plymouth, England, screening Texas (BB-35). Returning to the assault area 11 June, Emmons served in the screen guarding transports and supply ships from submarine attack. After replenishing at Portland, England, from 21 to 24 June, she kept watch around battleships and cruisers on 25 June in the Task Force 129 Bombardment of Cherbourg supporting the U.S. First Army VII Corps victory at the Battle of Cherbourg.
USS Emmons returned to Mers-el-Kebir 10 July 1944 with a transport convoy she had brought across from Portland, then had escort duty in the Mediterranean ports preparing for the assault on southern France. She sailed from Taranto, Italy, for the beachheads, 11 August, and on the 15th began preinvasion bombardment. She remained off the beaches all day to provide fire support to troops storming ashore. Escort duty took her away to Italian and Corsican ports, but she returned to patrol off the French Riviera until October.
1944-1945, Transfer to Pacific
USS Emmons put into Boston 9 November 1944 for conversion to a high-speed minesweeper, and after Atlantic training and exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, entered Ulithi to stage for the invasion of Okinawa. In March 1945 LTjg Gilligan was transferred to the USS Rodman.
Now in Okinawa's waters his ship took up picket duty, and on 6 April, during one of the first of the massive kamikaze attacks, was a target and the USS Rodman (DMS-21) was hit by one of the first planes to attack. The sister ship, the USS Emmons circled the stricken ship to provide antiaircraft cover, both DMSs were overwhelmed by suicide-bent Japanese planes. Many were shot down, but USS Emmons was struck by five, almost simultaneously. One hit her fantail, the rest to starboard of her pilot house, of No. 3 gun mount on her waterline, aft, and the port side of her combat information center. Crippled and ablaze, with ammunition exploding wholesale, USS Emmons found damage control a desperate, losing struggle. That day her crew, who had already won the Navy Unit Commendation for Okinawa, lost 60 dead, 77 wounded. The rest had to abandon ship. Next day, the 7th, the hulk was sunk to prevent its falling into enemy hands.
