Gilbert
Towner
Tututni
|
Chinese
Spring Offensive, Korea. "...the man I was in the hole with was
wounded three different times...I was shot in both legs and my arm,
and he was losing a lot of blood, and he could hardly put his rifle
up on the parapet...so I decided that if he was going to stay there...he
would die from his wounds...I crawled out, and I started to stand up,
but I couldn't stand. I managed to drag him out of the hole anyway,
and I tied both of his hands together with my belt, and I slung them
over my head, and we crawled up over and on the other side of the ridge...there
were three Chinese who had broken through (our) lines, and they were
just sitting there, ...disoriented, but I shot all three of them with
my sidearm, and finally got this fellow down to the Aid Station. ...I
crawled back up into my hole and finished out the night."
Sergeant Harold Wilson, who witnessed Gilbert's heroic action told him he would "put him in" for a Silver Star. The Medal never came, but Gilbert was honored as the 10,000th Marine to be wounded that night on the 23rd/24th of Apri1 1951. He is proud to be a Marine and a member of the 'Chosin Few.' Gilbert's great-grandfather, Ensalsun was War Leader of the Tututni in the Rogue Wars (Oregon). "Family members have served in WWI and WWII. We uphold the tradition of my great-grandfather. We are Americans." We honor you Gilbert for your dedicated service. |