Marian Carol Gillis '37

(b. January 7, 1917, Newark, NJ-d. May 13, 1945, Dutch New Guinea)

Attended East Orange High School, East Orange, NJ

Entered Rutgers New Jersey College for Women September 1933, BA, June 5, 1937

Entered Service, Women's Army Corp, March 28, 1943

While at Rutgers, Marian spent her junior year abroad in Spain with her mother. During her travels Marian proudly wore an American flag pin, later saying that she was known across Europe as the woman who "wore the American flag on her chest". As civil war broiled over into the streets of Madrid in the summer of '36, the Gillises slept under the piano in the grand ballroom of the American Embassy for a number of nights until they embarked on a train barreling for the Mediterranean. When Spanish soldiers warned Marian of train bombings, derailment, and poisonous gas, she pinned the stars and stripes to her suit to feel safer. The Gillises arrived in the small town of Alacante unscathed. The Gillises then sailed to Marseilles on a boat that had accommodations for 100 but was carrying 1,000. Marian said, "We were packed in like sardines in a tin." Upon docking, the duo ventured across France and Italy extensively before sailing from Naples back to New York.

Gillis graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1937 and spent the summer with her mother on a 30,000-mile trip around the world. The two recorded 17,000 feet of motion picture film and crossed the equator four times. In 1942 Gillis left her secretary's desk at an insurance company in Los Angeles to enlist in the Army. Gillis had been stationed in Guam for five months when the plane that was carrying her crashed over Shangri-La.

C-47A-35-DL "Gremlin Special/Guinea Gopher" Serial Number 42-23952

USAAF

FEASC

Former Assignments

5th AF

317th TCG

39th TCS

U.S. Army July 1945

Pilot Col. Peter J. Prossen, O-22803 (KIA, BR) San Antonio, TX

Co-Pilot Major George H. Nicholson, O-298227 (KIA, BR) Medford, MA

Engineer SSgt Hilliard Norris, 14072653 (KIA, BR) Waynesville, NC

Asst Engineer Pfc Melvin A. Mollberg, 17035891 (KIA, BR) Baudette, MN

Radio Pfc George R. Newcomer, 32273013 (KIA, BR) Middletown, NY

Passenger TSgt Kenneth W. Decker, 19005776 (rescued) Kelso, Washington

Passenger Cpl Margaret J. Hastings, A-218021 (rescued) Owego, NY

Passenger 1st Lt. John S. McColom, O-467272 (rescued) Tranton, MS

Passenger 1st Lt. Robert E. McCollom, O-468926 (KIA, BR) MS

Passenger Maj. Herman F. Antonini, O-351875 (KIA, BR) Danville, IL

Passenger Cpl Charles R. Miller, 36181551 (KIA, BR) Saint Joseph, MI

Passenger Captain Louis E. Freyman, O-392996 (KIA, BR) IN

Passenger Pfc Marian C. Gillis, A-901668 (KIA, BR) Hollywood, CA

Passenger 1st Lt. Lawrence F. Holding, O-535205 (KIA, BR) Raleigh, NC

Passenger Major Phillip J. Dattilo, O-336086 (KIA, BR) Louisville, KY

Passenger Captain Herbert F. Good, O-262232 (KIA, BR) Dayton, OH

Passenger Pfc Mary M. Landau, A-207742 (KIA, BR) Brooklyn, NY

Passenger Sgt Belle G. Naimer, A-116702 (KIA, BR) Bronx, NY

Passenger Cpl Melvyn A. Weber, 19180552 (KIA, BR) Compton, CA

Passenger Pfc Alethia M. Fair, A-920130 (KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA

Passenger Sgt Helen G. Kent, A-902290 (KIA, BR) Taft, CA

Passenger Tec3 Marion W. McMonagle, A-311096 (KIA, BR) Philadelphia, PA

Passenger Pfc Eleanor P. Hanna, A-311558 (injured in crash, died May 14, 1945, BR) Montoursville, PA

Passenger SSgt Laura E. Besley, A-306040 (injured in crash, died May 15, 1945, BR) Shippenville, PA

Crashed May 13, 1945

MACR 14697 C-47A 42-23952

Marian C Gillis