THE WALL OF FACES

Private First Class Michael Anthony Gilson, Served with the Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Third Marine Amphibious Force.

May those who served never be forgotten. Rest in peace PFC. Gilson, I salute your brave soul. My heart goes out to you and your family. Semper Fidelis!

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Mike was my uncle. He died a few weeks before I was born, and is my namesake.

Private First Class Michael Anthony Gilson was the son of Carl A. Sr. and Josephine M. Brady Gilson of Sacramento, CA. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on January 28, 1964 in San Francisco, CA. PFC Gilson was a Marine Field Radio Operator, age 20, born January 21, 1946, from Sacramento, CA. PFC Gilson arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), III MAF, FMFPac. On March 4, Operation UTAH was launched under the command of Task Force Delta in the Son Thinh District of Quang Ngai Province where the Marines would encounter elements of the 21st NVA Regiment. On D-day 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines conducted a helicopter assault near the Chau Ngai complex of villages and was heavily engaged with a regiment of NVA regulars near Hill 50 and Hill 35. Elements of F Company and H Company were overrun but were able to recover and consolidate to a night position near Chau Ngai 4. By the end of D-Day, 2/7 counted 94 enemy KIA and estimated 63 WIA. Friendly losses were 44 KIA and 84 WIA. An additional 20+ persons received minor wounds and were not evacuated. The next day, 5 March, the battle moved to the North and 2/7 cleaned up the battlefields from the day before, recovering the dead, and clearing out caves and bunkers. On March 4, 1966, PFC Gilson was killed in action dying outright from enemy small arms fire. PFC Gilson is honored on the Vietnam Memorial on Panel 05E, Line 103.