John Raymond Dillingham Jr.’s life was impacted by military service, relocation, family turmoil, and a legacy that gained attention decades after his death. Jerry or Jerome Dillingham was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Rena Sapira and John Dillingham on July 8, 1922.
He died at 59 in Virginia on August 19, 1981. Arlington National Cemetery holds his remains in Columbarium 1, M 9 2. However, his granddaughter E.A. brought him fame. In addition to the Hanks family, Dillingham’s life was shaped by 26 years in the Marine Corps.
A Long Career in the United States Marine Corps
Dillingham joined the Marine Corps on January 30, 1941, soon before the US entered World War II. He served during three significant wartime periods. He retired on April 30, 1967, after serving in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.
His awards indicate abroad and combat service. He received the Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Area Medal with three stars, Korean Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He won unit accolades and good behaviour awards.
The Purple Heart means he was wounded by the enemy. His Asiatic Pacific Area Medal shows campaign stars for multiple Pacific campaigns during World War II, placing Dillingham in a generation of Marines who served in difficult theatres and returned to a country undergoing massive social and political change.
His military background shows his practical desire to study. He finished high school in 1964 while serving. He was 41 and nearing retirement. His record becomes quieter with such accomplishment. It suggests that his career encompassed late educational completion as well as military discipline.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | John Raymond Dillingham Jr. |
| Other names | Jerry Dillingham and Jerome Dillingham |
| Birth | July 8, 1922, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Enlistment | January 30, 1941 |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Retirement | April 30, 1967 |
| Death | August 19, 1981, Virginia |
| Burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Major conflicts | World War II, Korean War era, Vietnam War era |
Military Relocations and Family Life
The Dillingham service influenced every aspect of family life. Military families follow orders, transfers, deployments, and duty station changes rather than their own. The Dillinghams lived in California, the Carolinas, Hawaii, Florida, and Virginia.
He was married to Harriet Collins, who is also identified in some family references as Harriet Hall Dillingham. Together they had several children, including Susan Jane Dillingham, Michael Dillingham, Bruce Dillingham, and Eric Dillingham.
Susan was born on November 29, 1952, in San Diego, California. She later became known professionally as Samantha Lewes. The family eventually experienced separation, reportedly around 1962. Afterward, the children were raised partly by their mother while Dillingham continued his military career.
The available public record contains limited information about his civilian work after retirement. There is no well documented business career, major financial profile, or prominent public role associated with him. His story remains anchored in military service and family history.
Susan Dillingham and the Hanks Family
Susan Dillingham became known to a wider audience through her marriage to actor Tom Hanks. The couple married in 1978 and divorced in 1987. They had two children, Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Ann Hanks, who is widely known as E.A. Hanks.
Susan pursued acting under the name Samantha Lewes. Her life, however, was marked by serious personal difficulties. Family accounts describe struggles involving mental illness, addiction, instability, and abusive behavior. She died on March 12, 2002, at the age of 49, from bone and lung cancer.
Actor Colin Hanks was born in 1977. E.A. The 1982-born Hanks writes and contributes about family, identity, and personal history. John Raymond Dillingham became Colin and E.A.’s maternal grandpa through their descendants. The great-grandfather of Olivia Jane Hanks and others.
The family tree can be outlined simply:
| Family member | Relationship |
|---|---|
| John Raymond Dillingham Jr. | Family patriarch and military veteran |
| Harriet Collins or Harriet Hall Dillingham | Wife of John Dillingham |
| Susan Jane Dillingham or Samantha Lewes | Daughter |
| Michael Dillingham | Son |
| Bruce Dillingham | Son |
| Eric Dillingham | Son |
| Tom Hanks | Former husband of Susan Dillingham |
| Colin Hanks | Grandson |
| Elizabeth Ann Hanks or E.A. Hanks | Granddaughter |
| Olivia Jane Hanks | Great granddaughter |
E.A. Hanks and The 10
E.A. Hanks revisited her family history in her 2025 memoir, The 10 A Memoir of Family and the Open Road. The book follows a journey along Interstate 10, the highway that runs across the southern United States from California to Florida.
Road becomes more than a passage in memoir. Childhood memories, familial quiet, location, sadness, and meaning are intertwined. Hanks recreates her mother’s 1996 road trip and does her own minivan excursion. That subsequent voyage takes her through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
In the book, Hanks tries to understand Susan. She recalls a fearful, unpredictable upbringing. Her narrative alleges emotional and physical abuse, neglect, paranoia, and unpredictable family rules. She portrays her mother as complicated, caring, artistic, intellectual, and generous when stable.
Hanks also describes the support she received from her father, Tom Hanks, and her stepmother, Rita Wilson. When conditions at home became unsafe, she eventually spent more time in her father’s household. Her memoir examines the contrast between public family image and private family experience.
The Red Journal and Questions About John Dillingham
A crimson diary belonging to Susan is one of The 10’s most frightening features. Susan allegedly accused her father of amazing things in the journal. She accused John Dillingham of raping, murdering, and even cannibalising a little girl.
These allegations remain unproven. Hanks investigates them but does not uncover definitive evidence that establishes them as fact. The memoir presents the material as part of a family mystery shaped by trauma, memory, mental illness, and uncertainty.
That distinction counts. Journal entries can disclose what someone thought, feared, recalled, or imagined, but they do not prove a crime. It appears Hanks knows this barrier. Her focus is on the harm created by unanswered questions and how one generation’s pain can affect the next.
The book does not confirm Dillingham’s criminal background. He is remembered as a career Marine with honours, service in many wars, and interment at Arlington National Cemetery. A terrible family story is added to the memoir, although the claims are not proven.
A Private Man Remembered Through Public Records
Before the memoir revived his name, Dillingham died in 1981. Few details about his personality, interests, friendships, or civilian life were publicly available. More like a military file than a biography, his record. While dates, assignments, awards, family names, and funeral details are apparent, the individual behind them is not.
His legacy has two sides. One is the disciplined Marine who served from 1941 to 1967 and was honoured in three main American military times. A family saga of silence, trauma, and unsolved allegations describes the maternal grandpa.
Both aspects now exist in public discussion, but they should not be confused. Military honors confirm a record of service. Family testimony reveals personal experience and interpretation. Neither alone provides a complete portrait of John Raymond Dillingham.
FAQ
Who was John Raymond Dillingham?
John Raymond Dillingham Jr. was a United States Marine Corps veteran who served from January 30, 1941, until his retirement on April 30, 1967. He served during World War II, the Korean War era, and the Vietnam War era.
When did John Raymond Dillingham die?
He died on August 19, 1981, in Virginia, at the age of 59.
Where is John Raymond Dillingham buried?
He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in the columbarium, at Columbarium 1, M 9 2.
Who was Susan Dillingham?
Susan Jane Dillingham was John Dillingham’s daughter. She acted under the name Samantha Lewes and was the first wife of actor Tom Hanks. They had two children, Colin Hanks and E.A. Hanks.
What medals did John Dillingham receive?
His documented awards include the Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Area Medal with three stars, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, good conduct awards, and unit citations.
What is E.A. Hanks’s memoir about?
The 10 A Memoir of Family and the Open Road explores E.A. Hanks’s relationship with her mother, her childhood experiences, family trauma, and a journey along Interstate 10. It also examines unresolved allegations recorded by Susan about John Dillingham.
Were the allegations against John Dillingham proven?
No. The allegations described in the memoir remain unproven. E.A. Hanks investigates them but does not find conclusive evidence establishing them as fact.
E.A. Hanks is John Raymond Dillingham’s granddaughter through his daughter Susan Dillingham, also known as Samantha Lewes.
