GILLIGAN, John, LT

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, WHAT INFLUENCED HIS/HER DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY?
Before the Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, 'We were unbelievably innocent of what was going on in the world," Gilligan said. Americans who had read war news "like we read football scores" were suddenly hip-deep in the war, he said.

In an accelerated program, Gilligan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1943, then entered the U.S. Navy as an ensign and was assigned to the destroyer USS Emmons.

TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH HE/SHE TOOK IN HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE. WHERE DID THEY GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE THEY ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS HIS/HER REASON FOR LEAVING?
WW II was raging. Jack graduated from Notre Dame in 1943 and enlisted in the Navy, was commissioned an ensign and went to sea on destroyers.

Destroyers were fast, mobile, "dashing" and were needed everywhere, Gilligan said. In WWII, the navy had 500 destroyers.

"It was war on a scale we can't even imagine," Gilligan said of the large number of destroyers.

Sometimes the losses were high. Of the 12 destroyers in the squadron that included Gilligan's two ships, 10 were lost, he said.

After the war, Gilligan closed that chapter of his life and didn't attend veteran reunions.

"It was over and done, and I was glad it was done," Gilligan said.

FROM THEIR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY PERSONAL MEMORIES, YOU MAY BE AWARE OF, WHICH IMPACTED HIM/HER THE MOST.
On D-Day, the Emmons was off the Normandy coast when artillery shells from a German battery straddled the destroyer, which returned fire, he said. The Emmons quickly was ordered to cease fire because it was bombarding the coast 40 minutes ahead of schedule.

"Actually, we fired the first shots of the Normandy invasion," Gilligan said, chuckling.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS DO YOU BELIEVE HE/SHE WAS MOST PROUD OF FROM HIS/HER MILITARY SERVICE?
Battle of Okinawa: The USS Rodman was hit by three enemy planes, heavily damaging it, and the nearby Emmons was struck by five suicide planes, Gilligan said. After the Emmons crew abandoned the burning and exploding ship, American gunfire sank it so it wouldn't fall into Japanese hands.

Aboard the Rodman, a fire in the forward part of the ship threatened to overheat and detonate ammunition. Gilligan and some crewmen took a fire hose below deck to hose down the ammunition so it would cool and not explode, he said.

Gilligan received a Silver Star for his action with the ammunition.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES HE/SHE RECEIVED, WHICH WERE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO HIM/HER AND WHY?
This, "Navy Unit Citation", sums it up:

THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON

The President of the United States takes pleasure in commending the

UNITED STATES SHIP RODMAN

for service as follows:

"For outstanding heroism in action while attached to Mine Squadron TWENTY, operating under Commander Mine Force, Pacific Fleet, from March 21 to 31; and thereafter under the operational control of Commander Transport Screen, from April 1 to June 11, 1945, during operations for the seizure of enemy Japanese-held Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands. Although lightly armed and highly vulnerable while operating in dangerous mined waters, the U.S.S. RODMAN rendered heroic service in minesweeping, fire support, radar picket, anti-suicide boat, anti-submarine and antiaircraft screen missions. A natural and frequent target for heavy Japanese aerial attack, she was constantly vigilant and ready for battle, fighting her guns valiantly to destroy five hostile planes and share in the destruction of another. Taken under attack by six Kamikazes on April 6, she was crashed by three and, although suffering major damage and many personal casualties during this fierce concentrated aerial attack on our surface ships, proceeded to the anchorage area under her own power. By her own aggressiveness and the courage and skill of her officers and men, the U.S.S. RODMAN achieved a record of gallantry in combat reflecting the highest credit upon herself, her entire company and the United States Naval Service."

All personnel attached to and serving on board the U.S.S. RODMAN from March 24 to June 11, 1945, are authorized to wear the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION Ribbon.

For the President,

/s/ John L. Sullivan
Secretary of the Navy

ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM HIS/HER SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MADE THEM LAUGH LATER ON?
Not funny at the time but due to his quick transfer from the USS Emmons to the USS Rodman, his parents thought for a month that he was missing in action. A note from Gilligan dated after the ship sank notified them he was OK.

The damaged Rodman limped across the Pacific, passed through the Panama Canal and steamed into Charleston, S.C., for repairs.

"That's when I contacted my fiance," Gilligan said.

IF HE/SHE SURVIVED MILITARY SERVICE, WHAT PROFESSION(S) DID HE/SHE FOLLOW AFTER DISCHARGE?
After the war, Gilligan returned to Cincinnati to teach literature at Xavier University from 1948 to 1953. He also served as member of the Cincinnati city council from 1953 to 1963, and was a candidate for Ohio Congressman-at-Large in 1962. In 1964 he was elected to the Eighty-ninth Congress as a representative for Ohio's 1st district, serving from January 3, 1965 - January 3, 1967. Gilligan narrowly lost his re-election bid to the Ninetieth Congress in 1966 to Republican Robert Taft Jr. after the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly redrew his district to favor the Republican Party. In 1968, Gilligan defeated sitting U.S. Senator Frank J. Lausche in the Democratic primary; however, he narrowly lost in the general election to Republican William B. Saxbe after Lausche refused to support him in the general election.

Gilligan won the election for the Governorship of Ohio in 1970, defeating Republican state Auditor Roger Cloud, and serving from 1971 to 1975. Gilligan lost the office to former Republican governor James A. Rhodes (who had been barred from running in 1970 due to term limits) by only 11,488 votes out of 3,072,010 cast.

Gilligan subsequently served as the administrator of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1977 to 1979. He served as director of the Institute for Public Policy from 1979 to 1986, and taught at the University of Notre Dame from 1986 to 1992. He also served as director of the civic issues forum at the University of Cincinnati School of Law.

In 1999, Gilligan was elected to the Board of Education of the Cincinnati Public Schools. He chose not to stand for re-election when his term expired in 2007.

IF KNOWN, WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS WAS HE OR SHE A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? ARE YOU AWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC BENEFITS THEY DERIVED FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIPS?
Life member: AMERICAN LEGION.

HOW EFFECTIVE HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM BEEN IN HELPING YOU RECORD YOUR REMEMBERED PERSONS MILITARY SERVICE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE?
This is a Remembrance Profile for Lt. John J. Gilligan. Most of the preceding material was taken from a one hour recorded interview with his daughter, the former Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius, currently the Secretary of Health and Welfare.

John Gilligan and his daughter Kathleen Sebelius are the first and only father/daughter governors to date (Nov. 2013).

**