William Jackson Gaines

Major Ret. William Jackson Gaines, of Newport. RI, died on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at Newport Hospital. The son of the late Albert P. Gaines. Sr. and Pauline P. Jackson Gaines, he was born on March 2, 1923 in Newport, RI. He attended the local schools and graduated from Rogers High School in 1940. He worked at various shoe repair facilities and hotels as a teenager in order to help finance his college education. World War II broke out while he was attending Virginia Union University, Richmond VA, and he left school and enlisted in the Army. He served throughout WWII as a munitions staff Non-commissioned Officer in both the United States and the Pacific Theater, culminating in his participation at the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iwo Jima. Honorably discharged, he returned to Newport but eventually reentered the Army. As an Ordinance Officer, he participated in the General MacArthur led invasion of South Korea at Inchon and subsequently spent the next 18 months serving in unit command positions during operations in both South and North Korea.Upon his return to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, he served as unit commander and senior instructor/course supervisor at the Ordinance School until his reassignment to Europe with the 8th Infantry Division and later as Director of Operations at Miesau Army Depot. During this cold war tour, he performed exchange and instructional duties with both the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, and the Turkish Army at their varied locations within Turkey. He retired from the Army in 1966 in the rank Major and soon accepted civilian employment with the Army as a munitions systems analyst. In this capacity and as Army Representative, he pioneered the design, development and implementation of standard Army-wide automated munitions management and reporting systems. He orchestrated their installation in Army elements throughout the munitions community, a significant achievement as indicated by appropriate honorary and monetary recognition awards.Mr. Gaines last assignment as Civilian Executive Assistant, Miesau Depot, Germany, where he earned numerous awards and decorations from both the US authorities and the local German officials for his professional and concerned leadership. Mr. Gaines was inducted into the US Army Ordinance Corps Hall of Fame in 1994, the first African-American civilian so honored, in recognition of his unprecedented contributions to the Corps, Army and Country. He retired from government service in 1995 after completing 50 years of combined military and civilian service and returned to Newport.Mr. Gaines leaves behind a son, David D. Gaines of Canton, MA, a granddaughter Greshen Gaines and her husband Kevin Martin, and a grandson, William B. Gaines Martin all of Arnold, MD, a brother Paul L Gaines of Newport, RI, sisters-in-law Jo Eva and Hazel Gaines, granddaughter Greshen Gaines and her husband Kevin Martin and their son William Martin all of Arnold, MD, five nieces and five nephews. He was predeceased by infant son, William, Jr., wife Elizabeth, sisters Margaret Gaines Burton of Altadena CA and Estelle Gaines Drummond, brothers Albert, Sr. and Robert Sr. of Newport, RI, and his step-children Horst, Gudrom, and Wilhelm in Germany.