NOVEMBER 25, 1914 - OCTOBER 18, 2007
John Edwin Gilmore was born on 25 November 1914, the third child of Dr. & Mrs. G.H. Gilmore in the farming community of Murray, Nebraska. He graduated from Union High School in Union, Nebraska in 1931. In 1932 he moved to California, attending Long Beach Junior College and majored in science. In 1933 he moved back to Nebraska studying mechanical engineering at the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1935 with his BA in Chemistry. This was during the great depression. Of the 30 graduates in his class, only one – not he– was able to get a job, so he decided to enroll in medical school. On 6 December John became 1st Lt. in the ROTC. He had to be 21 years old to be an officer.
From August 1936 to September 1938, John took three two-week tours with the ROTC. The tours were first at Fort Crook, Nebraska, Camp McCoy in Wisconsin, and Fort Riley in Kansas with the 17th US Infantry.
For the next four years John attended the University of Nebraska School of Medicine. Odd jobs enabled him to pay each semester’s $100 tuition until he earned his medical degree – graduating with his MD in 1939. His undergraduate study was at Douglas County Hospital at Omaha, Nebraska from 1938-1939, Royal Jubilee Hospital atVictoria B.C. from July to November 1939, then to California, spending the next eight months interning at Fresno General Hospital. At this time John met with an R.N. named Kathleen Egan, who was to become his wife of 52 years.
In 1940 Gilmore applied for an orthopedic surgery residency, paid for by the government, with the condition he volunteer for the Army Air Corps for one year of service. From 1 July 1940 to 28 February 1941 John served at March Field, in Riverside California, as Flight Surgeon. During this period he attended the specialized Army Air Force School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Field, Texas, from 18 February to 25 March 1941. Upon his return he was transferred to the Air Force Flight Training Detachment in Tulare California serving as the Base Surgeon while he took basic and primary flight training, as flight surgeons were required to do so. He was promoted to Captain on 1 November 1941. One month later on 7 December Pearl Harbor was bombed thrusting America into World War II changing his “one year of service”to six years!
On 21 July 1942 Captain Gilmore departed the US for his overseas assignment serving in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, Far East Air Forces – under the Command of General George C. Kenney. He arrived in Australia on 30 August 1942. Upon his arrival to New Guinea on 21 October 1942, his assignment was with the US Army’s newly formed 5th Air Force, 3rd Attack Group, 90th Bombardment Squadron. The 3rd Attack Group – “The Grim Reapers” as they were called – consisted of four squadrons: the 8th, 13th, 89th and 90th Bombardment Squadrons.
It was during this time that he became acquainted with Captain Paul “Pappy” Gunn and Lt. John “Jock” Henebry – two of the great aviator heroes and innovators of the Pacific Air War. During WWII, Gilmore cut off Pappy’s pinky finger at Gunn’s request. He also flew with Gunn on many of his test and evaluation flights reconfiguring the B-25 into an attack platform. Henebry became the youngest General in the Pacific War on his 30th Birthday.Their friendship lasted 65 years with Henebry passing away just two weeks before Gilmore on 7 October 2007.
From 12 September - 26 February 1943 he served as 90th Bombardment Squadron Flight Surgeon with (Flying Status) under the command of Colonel D. Hall. He flew 27 combat missions as co-pilot in B-25’s and A-20’s accumulating 73:30 combat flying hours during this period. When General Kenney found out his real talent – a Medical Doctor - Gilmore was promoted to Group Flight Surgeon and pulled from regular combat missions.
From 27 February - 30 June 1943 Gilmore served as Group Flight Surgeon. He met a challenge to Gen. MacArthur’s demand that "No soldier will go home until the Pacific War is finished." In contrast to the European War, pilots would rotate home after 25 bombing missions – which was close to 6 months of combat. At this same time, The Grim Reapers had fought for one solid year, longer than any other unit in WWII without a break.
From the jungles of New Guinea, Gilmore concluded a year-long study "Survey of Combat Pilots and Crews." It was submitted to the Air Surgeon of the Army, HQ, Washington D.C. This document was forwarded direct to the Pentagon establishing the policy regarding all airmen fighting in the Pacific War. This brought great relief to the mental and emotional conditions of the airmen and crews requiring them to rotate out of the combat zone after 10 months of combat.
From 1 July - 31 December 1943, he served the 3rd Attack Group under the command of Major John P. "Jock" Henebry, another distinguished aviator and close life-long friend. Henebry pioneered the innovative "minimum altitude" attack concepts of Col. “Pappy”Gunn. Gilmore accumulated 71:05 combat flying hours during this period. On 6 September 1943 he was promoted to Major.
From 1 January - 31 January 1944, Doc was promoted to Staff Surgeon 5th Air Force Advanced Headquarters under the command of Colonel D. Devine, where he established policy and made field inspections of the 5th Air Force combat units at various bases. He accumulated 22:30 flying hours during this period.
From 1 February - 24 April 1944, he was transferred to the 5th Air Force (originally known as the 1st Air Task Force) 308th Bombardment Wing (H) Again under the command of Colonel D. Devine. As Staff Surgeon he continued to establish policy and inspect combat field units. He accumulated 39:05 flying hours during this period. On 12 March 1944, Col. Henebry signed off for Doc to have a srefriger-ator. This was the only refrigerator in the Pacific War!
From 25 April - 13 July1944, he continued his service with the 308th B.W. (H) in Wadke then Biak, now under the command of Colonel D.W. Hutchinson. From 14 July - 11 November 1944, he had temporary duty in Australia at the Far East Air Forces Surgeons Office, Headquarters. During this period, on 27 August he was back to the US on Temporary Duty returning to New Guinea 1 November 1944.
On 10 November 1944 he arrived in Leyte, Philippine Island (P.I.). He landed on Luzon and camped on the beach with the 6th US Army Special Forces on 7 January 1945. They made a midnight raid on two internment camps to make a advanced run with the objective to liberate the prisoners. In this operation Doc liberated an old classmate whom was caught up in the Bataan Death March. 6 May 1944 he was promoted to Lt. Colonel. On 16 June 1946 at Fort Logan, Colorado, Colonel John E. Gilmore was promoted to full bird colonel and separated from the US Army Air Forces serving from 1 July 1940 - 16 June 1946.
Following the War, Col. Gilmore sold his first home to Ronald Reagan, his second home to Lee Atwood (President of North American Aviation). Atwood happened to be the Chief Engineer/Designer of the B-25 Mitchell as well as a personal friend of Pappy Gunn.
From his experience as wartime flight surgeon, he realized that when an aircraft was hit and the plexiglass windshield shattered, plastic fragments landing in the eye did not cause inflammatory reaction and infection was never a factor. His hands-on experience changed his specialty from orthopedic surgery to ophthalmology, thus altering his legacy. From this observation, he took his field experience into his ophthalmology practice.
As WWII concluded and the US was flooded with older, medically-trained servicemen, it was increasingly difficult to build a private practice and residency in the country. Subsequently Dr. Gilmore traveled to India and studied under Dr. Rambo in a missionary hospital, performing in excesss of 1,200 cataract surgeries annually, perfecting his art.
Gilmore was one of the first to implant an intraocular lens following cataract surgery, which was such a leap from traditional thinking, that none of California’s universities would teach his method. “To put a piece of plastic in the eyes was not considered a practical remedy to improve eyesight. I was even considered a quack by many of the leading eye surgeons.”However he continued to move forward and began teaching classes on this new procedure. So popular was this new procedure that surgeons came from around the world to learn this procedure taught by Gilmore and his colleagues Dr. Don Dickerson, Dr. Dennis Shepherd and Dr. Kenneth Hoffer. The classes were held every two weeks at Santa Monica Hospital with full enrollment of 40 students. Gilmore donated the $600.00 enrollment fees to the hospital, which added up to a considerable sum of money and was just one of his many philanthropic gestures.
Having married Kay and moving to Santa Monica the Gilmore’s had one daughter, JoAnn, who passed away in an accident. The successful ophthalmologist partnered in a paving company. Soon thereafter an opportunity presented itself for Dr. Gilmore to purchase a business that serviced trucks. In time, a company that mixed concrete was added to Gilmore’s extra curricular businesses. The progressive logic was evident: from paving, trucks, concrete, to ultimately the land to park his equipment. With so many demands on his time, Dr. Gilmore reduced his practice to part time devoting his afternoon hours to cultivating his business partnerships.
On his 76th birthday, John E. Gilmore, M.D. performed his last cataract surgery. Since then he was very active in the YMCA, Santa Monica Historical Society, Kiwanis, and The Boys And Girls Club giving generously of his time, creativity and money. Contrast his youthful experiences with the adult, the visionary, who believed in the benefits of implanting plastic intraocular lenses, therefore being responsible for restoring sight to thousands.
On Col. John Gilmore’s 90th birthday he took to the air again taking a flight with General John Henebry and Nathaniel Gunn (Pappy Gunn’s youngest son and WWII POW). They flew up the coast of Southern California in a WWII B- 25 Bomber (Heavenly Body) on the deck as they had so many times before… Col. Gilmore will be greatly missed. He loved life and knew his blessings as he counted often as noted by his shining face. Services will be at Gates kingly & Gates of Santa Monica, California at 1:00 PST on Friday 26 October 2007.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 24, 2007. Read the original PDF.