World War II Honoree

Raymond Philip Gilmore

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Richmond, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class. On December 28, 1940, he entered the United States Navy, receiving his medical schooling, assigned to Company D, Second Medical Battalion, Marine Corps Base at Camp Elliott, California. Served with Company-A, Second Medical Battalion, attached to the Second Marine ‘The Silent Second’ Division in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations. His division participated in the amphibious assault against the Imperial Japanese army forces on Betio Island, Tarawa atoll in the battle of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands (Battle Dates: November 20-23, 1943) Code Name: Operation Galvanic. Reported missing in action Sunday, November 22, 1943 on the second day of the invasion, and in remembrance of the brave, his name is recorded in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the Honolulu National Memorial cemetery of the Pacific ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. In June of 2015 the history flight, a private organization, discovered a collective burial grave on Betio Island. The remains were transferred to the defense prisoner of war/missing in action accounting agency in Hawaii where he was identified. He experienced combat in a previous operation, where he served with Company-B Medical Battalion, Second Marine Brigade. The Brigade was garrisoned on the island of American Samoa to defend the Island of Tutuila. The remains of this Navy Pharmacist’s were interred with Military Honors at Arlington National Cemetery June 9, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. He received the following awards: Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, American Campaign Medal and the WWII Victory Medal. This Naval Medical Corpsman, an American Patriot, awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.