COMMANDER ROBERT L. “BOB” GILLEN UNITED STATES NAVY (RETIRED), A LIFELONG CHARLESTOWN RESIDENT, ENTERED INTO ETERNAL LIFE ON FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2018 AT THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL IN BOSTON. HE WAS 85 YEARS OLD.
BORN AND RAISED IN CHARLESTOWN SECTION OF BOSTON, HE ENTERED THE NAVY AND THE NAVAL SECURITY GROUP AT AGE 17, ROSE TO CHIEF PETTY OFFICER AND IN 1962 WAS SELECTED FOR A COMMISSION AS AN ENSIGN, SPECIAL DUTY CRYPTOLOGIST.
COMMANDER GILLEN HAS SERVED ON A WIDE VARIETY OF SURFACE AND AIRBORNE PLATFORMS IN THE PACIFIC, ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN AS WELL AS WITH THE NINTH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY BRIGADE IN DANANG, VIETNAM WHERE HE EARNED THE FLEET MARINE FORCE COMBAT INSIGNIA. HE ALSO SERVED AT VARIOUS OTHER DUTY STATIONS IN MOROCCO, GERMANY, PHILIPPINES, WINTER HARBOR MAINE, ADAK ALASKA, ROTA, SPAIN AND WITH THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY. HE PIONEERED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPERATIONS SECURITY, SIGNAL SECURITY, AND SPECIAL PLANNING TECHNIQUES THAT PROVIDED TACTICAL COMMANDERS WITH A GREATLY ENHANCED ELECTRONIC WARFARE CAPABILITY.
AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS PAPERS ON ELECTRONIC WARFARE, HE PRODUCED TRAINING HANDBOOKS FOR BOTH U.S. AND NATO, DEVELOPED SIMPLE BUT VERY EFFECTIVE SECURE TACTICAL REPORTING PROCEDURES AND WAS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR AND SCRIPTWRITER FOR THE NAVY’S FIRST COMMUNICATION SECURITY TRAINING FILM. HIS EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF NAVAL SECURITY GROUP ACQUISITION SYSTEMS AND FAMILIARITY WITH SPECIAL COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS RESULTED IN HIS BEING ASSIGNED TO THE STAFF OF COMMANDER SECOND FLEET AND THEN TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF ATLANTIC FLEET’S STAFF WHERE IN 1978 HE WAS DEP SELECTED TO THE RANK OF COMMANDER.
THE LAST ACTIVE DUTY ASSIGNMENT OF HIS NEARLY 30-YEAR NAVAL CAREER WAS NOT WITH THE NAVAL SECURITY GROUP BUT WAS AS THE 59TH COMMANDER OF USS CONSTITUTION. BACK ONCE AGAIN IN CHARLESTOWN, COMMANDER GILLEN RETIRED FROM THE NAVY AND IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED THE POSITION OF NAVAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HEAD OF THE NJROTC PROGRAM AT WEST ROXBURY HIGH SCHOOL. HE ALSO REMAINED ACTIVE IN SPECIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE AS THE OWNER OF HIS OWN CONSULTING FIRM.
COMMANDER GILLEN WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE YOUTH PATRIOTIC AND LEADERSHIPS (YPAL) FOUNDATION, AN ORGANIZATION HE HELPED FORM. HE WAS THE PAST COMMANDER OF KENNEDY MEMORIAL VFW POST 5880; THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT COMMANDER OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE WORLD WARS; A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNORS ADVISORY COUNCIL ON VETERANS AFFAIRS, THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE “OLD IRONSIDES PENNIES CAMPAIGN” AND MANY OTHER VETERAN AND CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.
SINCE RETIRING COMMANDER GILLEN HAS BEEN EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN NUMEROUS VETERANS, CIVIC AND YOUTH ACTIVITIES PROGRAMS WHICH INCLUDE BUT ARE BY NO MEANS LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:
AMERICAN LEGION, BUNKER HILL POST 26 (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE), ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS, PAST VICE CHAIRMAN PROTOCOL COMMITTEE, ARMED SERVICES YMCA( DIRECTOR, MEMBER MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE), BUNKER HILL MONUMENT ASSOCIATION (DIRECTOR), CHARITABLE IRISH ASSOCIATION, CHARLESTOWN HISTORIC SOCIETY, CHARLESTOWN’S OLD SCHOOLBOYS ASSOCIATION, CHARLESTOWN’S BUNKER HILL DAY PARADE COMMITTEE (MILITARY LIAISON OFFICER, PAST CHIEF MARSHALL), USS CONSTITUTION MUSEUM (ADVISORY COUNCIL OF MUSEUM OVERSEERS), FREEDOM TRAIL ADVISORY COUNCIL, GOVERNOR’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON VETERAN AFFAIRS, MILITARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS (DIRECTOR, PAST VICE PRESIDENT), MILITARY ORDER OF THE WORLD WARS (MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT COMMANDER, PAST NEW ENGLAND REGION COMMANDER, PAST GREATER BOSTON CHAPTER COMMANDER, NATIONAL PATRIOTIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBER, NATIONAL PLANS AND POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBER, NATION GENERAL STAFF OFFICER), NATIONAL MILITARY INTELLIGENCE ASSOCIATION, NAVAL CRYPTOLOGIC VETERANS ASSOCIATION, NAVAL ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES, NAVAL RECRUITING DISTRICT ADVISORY COUNCIL, NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES, MASSACHUSETTS BAY COUNCIL (DIRECTOR,CHAIRMAN, MINORITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE), OLD CROWS ASSOCIATION, OLD IRONSIDES PENNIES CAMPAIGN (NATIONAL CHAIRMAN), THE RETIRED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, SURFACE NAVY ASSOCIATION, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS (COMMANDER, KENNEDY MEMORIAL POST #5880), WARDROOM CLUB, YOUTH PATRIOTIC AND LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION (PRESIDENT), YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (BOSTON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR).
HE IS THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF 61 YEARS TO HIS DUBLIN BORN WIFE EILEEN “PAULA” (FORAN) GILLEN. HE IS THE DEVOTED FATHER OF COMMANDER ROBERT L. GILLEN JR. USN (RET.) AND HIS WIFE KATHY, AND EILEEN DANNEMILLER AND HER HUSBAND JOHN. HE IS THE LOVING “GP” TO TARA, SAMANTHA, LT. JOHN USN, ROBERT AND STEVEN. HE IS THE BELOVED BROTHER OF IRENE “RENEE” MOFFATT, MAURICE “MOE” GILLEN, AND THE LATE BRO. FRANCIS "GEORGE" GILLEN AND BARBARA SALVADOR. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY MANY LOVING NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND COMMANDER GILLEN’S FUNERAL ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2018 AT 9:30 A.M. FROM THE CARR FUNERAL HOME, 220 BUNKER HILL ST. CHARLESTOWN FOLLOWED BY HIS FUNERAL MASS IN ST. FRANCIS DE SALES CHURCH, 313 BUNKER HILL ST. CHARLESTOWN AT 11 A.M. HIS BURIAL AT THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL CEMETERY IN BOURNE WILL BE PRIVATE. HIS VISITING HOURS WILL BE ON TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2018 FROM 4 P.M. TO 7 P.M. IN THE FUNERAL HOME.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, KINDLY MAKE A MEMORIAL DONATION IN COMMANDER GILLEN’S NAME TO BROTHERS OF MERCY ST. JOHN OF GOD, C/O CHARLESTOWN LIONS, P.0. BOX 290474 CHARLESTOWN, MA 02129