The Coast Guard Wanted To Pay Tribute To Gilligan's Island Star Alan Hale Jr. After His Death

Before "Gilligan's Island," comedian Alan Hale, Jr. had a prolific, decades-long career on stage and screen. He made his stage debut in 1931 at the age 10, began a very busy film career in 1941, and made multiple films a year throughout the 1950s. He played the title characters in both the 1953 adventure series "Biff Baker, U.S.A." and the 1957 Western "Casey Jones." He was a regular visitor of "The Gene Autry Show," and had guest spots in many of the more popular TV shows of the day. He was in "Maverick," "Bonanza," "The Untouchables," "Gunsmoke," and "Rawhide." There was, it seemed, nothing he couldn't do. 

Hale was reported always friendly and affable, and it was his affability that landed him the role of Jonas Grumby, aka The Skipper, on Sherwood Schwartz's 1964 sitcom "Gilligan's Island." The Skipper had to be the outraged, wrathful friend of the bumbling title character, but also had to remain huggable and likeable even as he lost in temper. Hale was able to play that note in auditions, and landed what would become his most famous role. To this day, most audiences know Hale for playing the Skipper. 

While "Gilligan's Island" wasn't critically praised, it became a permanent fixture in the pop landscape, and one can credit the seven lead actors for a lot of the show's lasting charm. Even though Hale wasn't the title character, he did serve as the leader of the group, being the only one who knows how to captain a ship. When Hale passed away in 1990, he received an outpouring of goodwill. Hale's performance on "Gilligan's Island," thanks to an eternal syndication deal, was enjoyed by kids who had, by 1990, become grandparents. People loved him. 

Indeed, even the United States Coast Guard loved Hale, and, according to a story in MeTV, the late actor was offered a military burial at sea for his years of service. 

Hale died of cancer in 1990, although he kept his illness a secret from everyone, including his wife. He didn't like to share stories of his own infirmities, often leading to prolonged suffering. According to the MeTV article, Hale was appearing at a "Gilligan's Island" fan even when his co-star, Russell Johnson, noticed how thin he had become. Everyone knew that Hale was ill, but he hadn't said to anyone that he was. Johnson asked Bob Denver what might be wrong with Hale, and Denver merely answered that Hale refused to talk about it. Johnson related Hale's death in his autobiography "Here On Gilligan's Isle," where he wrote how devastated everyone was when Hale passed. He said: 

"Dawn [Wells] called me in the morning when she found out that Alan had died. Dawn was like another daughter to him, and I know it was crushing for her. She had been to the hospital to see him the day before, and she said she knew it wouldn't be long. All of us felt the loss of a dear friend."

When Hale died, love for him and for the Skipper began pouring out. It seems that the Coast Guard got in contact with Hale's widow, Naomi Ingram, and offered to give Hale a full military funeral. This wasn't just a tribute to the seamanship of his fictional character, however. Hale actually served in the Coast Guard during World War II, from 1942 to 1945. He achieved the rank of Seaman, which is lower than a petty officer, but the Coast Guard were so enamored of Hale as an actor, they would be willing to give him the full nine, as it were. 

Ingram ultimately turned down the offer, as Hale had a specific funereal request. As Johnson wrote, "He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea." He remains in the Pacific Ocean. A sailor to the end. 

R.I.P. Alan Hale, Jr.