Brigadier General, US Army, Gilbert E. “Gillie” Sena

General Sena began his career in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, 1943.  He enlisted immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a flying cadet (bombardier). He attended service schools at Fort Bliss, Texas; Ellington Air Forces Base in Houston, Texas; advanced bombing school at San Angelo Air Base, Texas; and navigation training at Carlsbad Air Base, New Mexico. Upon being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force in February 1942, Sena was assigned to Barksdale Field in Louisiana as a bomb instructor of the B-26 Martin Marauder. He then joined the B-24 bomber group and met his pilot and lifelong friend, Captain Donald H. Purdy. This friendship with Purdy and the thoughts of his crew always brought tears to his eyes and memories both fond and painful of those who survived and those who died during the war and since. On March 19, 1943, Sena was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant and, after several bombing missions in the Pacific, he became Squadron Bombardier Commander. In 1944, the young Lieutenant led the first daylight raid of 200 airplanes to bomb the Philippines prior to the Leyte landing. As World War II ended, General Sena’s future would begin to present itself as a career soldier with United States Military.²

He returned to New Mexico as a member of the Army Reserve and would again be called to active duty during the Korean conflict of the 1950’s. On August 14, 1952, Sena was reassigned to the New Mexico National Guard and spent the next 19 years associated with the Army reserves. From 1961 through 1976, during the Vietnam conflict, he was assigned active duty with the Selective Service System at the New Mexico State Headquarters in Santa Fe. Under the command of Lt. General Lewis B. Hershey, he became the Chief of the Field Division, supervising 30 local Selective Service boards throughout New Mexico. On March 11, 1976, Sena received his final military assignment to White Sands Missile Range and became Chief of Human Resources, responsible for all training of personnel working for the United States Army stationed there. He retired from service as a full Colonel on December 1, 1976, and, on September 7, 1984, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and reinstated to inactive duty. Among his citations awarded, were during campaigns at Bismark Archipelago, New Guinea, East Indies, and the Philippines, and include the National Defense Service Medal, Air Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, Army Commendation Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Device, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Sena maintained memberships in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, and the Reserve Offices Association.³

Notes

1. Ancestry.com, Gilbert E Sena, In the New Mexico, US, World War II Records, 1941-1945
2. “ Gilbert E Sena,” Albuquerque Journal, 15 March, 2002
3. Gilbert Sena Jr. Interview, March 2002, Espanola NM

Prepared by Steve Martinez, Ph.D. Santa Fe Community College

Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Legacy Memorial, Find Your Veteran

https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/GILBERTESENA/1FB9F4B