World War II Honoree

Richard LaMar Gillett

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

El Centro, California

Honored By

Elinor D. Gillett, Rebecca, Ronald, Richard & Robert.

Relationship

Wife, Daughter & Sons

SURVIVOR OF THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH AND HELD AS A PRISONER OF WAR FOR 42 MONTHS AT THE ZENTSUJI AND ROKU ROSHI JAPANESE PRISON CAMPS. WHEN THE JAPANESE ARMED FORCES INVADED THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, HE WAS CAPTURED ON BATAAN APRIL 9, 1942 AND WAS FORCED MARCHED TO THE PRISON COMPOUND, CAMP O’DONNELL, WHICH WAS KNOWN AS THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH. HE WAS LATER INTERNED AT CAMP CABANATUAN, EVENTUALLY SHIPPED TO JAPAN ON A ‘HELL SHIP’ AND WAS USED AS A SLAVE LABORER, WORKING IN A STEEL FACTORY AND A MACHINE SHOP UNTIL HIS LIBERATION, SEPTEMBER 8, 1945. PRIOR TO HIS CAPTURE, HE HAD SERVED WITH GENERAL MACARTHUR’S U.S. ARMY FORCES FAR EAST COMMAND AS A P-35A FIGHTER PILOT, ASSIGNED TO THE 24TH PURSUIT GROUP, 17TH PURSUIT SQUADRON, LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HE HAD COMPLETED 15 COMBAT MISSIONS IN BOTH P-35A AND P-40 AIRCRAFT AND WAS THE ONLY P-35A WWII FIGHTER PILOT CREDITED FOR SHOOTING DOWN A JAPANESE ‘ZERO’ FIGHTER. HE JOINED THE ARMY AIR CORPS IN THE FALL OF 1940 AND LATER SELECTED FOR AVIATION CADET TRAINING. GRADUATED FROM FIGHTER PILOT ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING AT STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA ARMY AIR FIELD IN APRIL 1941, ACCEPTING HIS COMMISSION WITH THE RANK OF 2ND LIEUTENANT AND HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION WITH TWO BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS. BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH THREE BRONZE SERVICE STARS. WWII VICTORY MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL AND AN AIR FORCE LONGEVITY SERVICE AWARD WITH ONE SILVER LOOP.