In the 2003 book Gilligan's Wake (), Esquire film and television critic Tom Carson wrote a backstory that the Skipper served with John F. Kennedy of the PT-109 and McHale of McHale's Navy.
ɪnðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː bˈʊk ɡˈɪlɪɡənz wˈeɪk, ɛskwˈaɪɚ fˈɪlm ænd tˈɛlᵻvˌɪʒən kɹˈɪɾɪk tˈɑːm kˈɑːɹsən ɹˈoʊt ɐ bˈækstoːɹi ðætðə skˈɪpɚ sˈɜːvd wɪð dʒˈɑːn ˈɛf. kˈɛnədi ʌvðə pˌiːtˈiː wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪn ænd mək hˈeɪl ʌv mək hˈeɪlz nˈeɪvi.