On this date in 1944, Lieutenant R. C. Hagen, United States Navy Reserve and Senior Surviving Officer of the USS Johnston, wrote a letter to John Gillis of Dunseith, detailing the death of his son, Frank, who was killed in action during the Battle of Samar in the South Pacific.
Frank, born to John and Lucy Gillis and of Chippewa and Scottish descent, volunteered for the U.S. Navy at the start of World War II and was trained as a torpedoman on the Johnston.
The Johnston, a Fletcher-class destroyer, took part in one of the largest naval battles in WWII on October 25, 1944, engaging the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Philippine Sea. The Johnston played a crucial role by charging the Japanese ships to protect U.S. carriers and transport crafts, laying down fire on the enemy.
The Johnston fired over 220 shells and 10 torpedoes at the Japanese, but with the overwhelming size of the enemy force, it was outnumbered and sunk. 187 men were killed, including Frank.
“Your son assisted the Torpedo Officer in controlling the firing of our torpedoes,” Lt. Hagen wrote to John. “The Johnston fought heroically for three hours before it was sunk. It may comfort you to know your son was instrumental in scoring at least three torpedo hits on the enemy. Shortly after the attack, he was wounded by shrapnel and received immediate medical attention, including morphine to ease his pain.”
“When the ship was abandoned, Frank was assisted off and into a life raft. He lost consciousness soon due to shock and suffered no pain. He died a few hours later and was buried at sea.”
Hagen continued, “Your son was a fine man and shipmate, admired by his fellow sailors for his courage and fellowship, and respected by the officers for his reliability.”
The letter was carefully preserved by John and Lucy. In recent years, it was shared with younger members of the Gillis family, who honored Frank’s sacrifice. One family member, a U.S. Marine, carried a copy of the letter during his service. Other relatives placed a tombstone for Frank in the family cemetery just north of Dunseith, symbolically bringing him back home to North Dakota.
Dakota Datebook written by Scott Wagar
