As most of you know, Gentile, an RAF Eagle Squadron veteran, transferred with his fellow Eagles to US control in September 1942. The three Eagle Squadrons became the new 4th Fighter Group and went on to great success in the European theater. Don scored two victories as an Eagle, and later became the highest-scoring aerial ace in the 4th, a record that stands to this day.
What's not so clear, however, is his name! As an active historian and artist since the early 1970s, I've seen every possible variation on his first and middle names over the years, most based on his family's Italian heritage. As I've been acquainted with one of his sons (who became a fighter pilot himself, flying and instructing in F-16s) for over 30 years, I decided to pose the question to him recently:
"The question you pose does not have a simple answer. Don S. Gentile is what he went by as an adult and probably growing up. The entire family always called him Don. Now, the rest of it is a little bit murky, as you have implied. On my birth certificate, for father’s name is says Don Salvadore Gentile. My older brother, Don, was named after our father and his name is Dominic Salvadore. Now here comes another twist. When my grandson was born almost three years ago, my daughter and son-in-law wanted to give him my father’s middle name and there was some question about how to spell it because the traditional Italian spelling is Salvatore. They went with Salvadore because that’s what is on my birth certificate. But out of curiosity we requested my father’s birth certificate and it has his name as “Domienico Salvatore Calorio Gentile”. On his tombstone it says Don S. So I imagine this answer is as clear as mud; now you know as much as I know."
That pretty much settles it. Looking back, I was also acquainted with Don's late younger sister Edith - she had a framed copy of my "One-Man Air Force" in her house for years - but I never thought to ask her!
Completed 2016
Collection of Lance Kuhn
As most of you know, Gentile, an RAF Eagle Squadron veteran, transferred with his fellow Eagles to US control in September 1942. The three Eagle Squadrons became the new 4th Fighter Group and went on to great success in the European theater. Don scored two victories as an Eagle, and later became the highest-scoring aerial ace in the 4th, a record that stands to this day.
What's not so clear, however, is his name! As an active historian and artist since the early 1970s, I've seen every possible variation on his first and middle names over the years, most based on his family's Italian heritage. As I've been acquainted with one of his sons (who became a fighter pilot himself, flying and instructing in F-16s) for over 30 years, I decided to pose the question to him recently:
"The question you pose does not have a simple answer. Don S. Gentile is what he went by as an adult and probably growing up. The entire family always called him Don. Now, the rest of it is a little bit murky, as you have implied. On my birth certificate, for father’s name is says Don Salvadore Gentile. My older brother, Don, was named after our father and his name is Dominic Salvadore. Now here comes another twist. When my grandson was born almost three years ago, my daughter and son-in-law wanted to give him my father’s middle name and there was some question about how to spell it because the traditional Italian spelling is Salvatore. They went with Salvadore because that’s what is on my birth certificate. But out of curiosity we requested my father’s birth certificate and it has his name as “Domienico Salvatore Calorio Gentile”. On his tombstone it says Don S. So I imagine this answer is as clear as mud; now you know as much as I know."
That pretty much settles it. Looking back, I was also acquainted with Don's late younger sister Edith - she had a framed copy of my "One-Man Air Force" in her house for years - but I never thought to ask her!