The Wall › Panel 11E › Colorado › Robert Michael Gilchrist
ROBERT MICHAEL GILCHRIST
Major · U.S. Air Force
November 27, 1940 – October 7, 1966
Service recordRobert Michael Gilchrist, of Littleton, Colorado, served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force. He was lost on October 7, 1966, in North Vietnam, and was later declared dead. His name is inscribed on Panel 11E, Line 56 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 11E · Line 56
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Air Force
- Rank
- Major (MAJ)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Pilot (1115R)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 431 TFS
- Born
- November 27, 1940
- Home of record
- Littleton, Colorado (Arapahoe County)
Casualty
- Date of loss
- October 7, 1966
- Country
- North Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Declared Dead
- Circumstance
- Aircraft Crash — crew
- First reported
- Missing in action
- Remains
- Not recovered as of the 2008 DoD record
Context · from the records
What was happening
26 names on the Wall carry the date October 7, 1966. In October 1966, 516 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
He died in North Vietnam while Operation Rolling Thunder was under way. Operation Rolling Thunder (March 1965–November 1968) was the sustained U.S. bombing campaign against North Vietnam, flown by Air Force fighter-bombers from Thailand and Navy aircraft from carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin against some of the densest air defenses in the world.
His remains had not been recovered when the 2008 record was compiled. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues to search for Americans still missing from the war; families can find case information through dpaa.mil.
Read the history
On the Wall
Also on Panel 11E, Line 56
- JOHN FRANCIS DALOLA IIIPrivate First Class · October 7, 1966
- GARY DEAN DOCTORLance Corporal · October 7, 1966
- VINCENT FRANCIS GARVEYPrivate First Class · October 7, 1966
- JOSEPH THOMAS GILE JRPrivate First Class · October 7, 1966
From Littleton
- DAVID LOUIS HRDLICKALieutenant Colonel · May 18, 1965
- PATRICK JOSEPH HANNONLance Corporal · September 4, 1966
- RODGER EDSON TERWILLIGERStaff Sergeant · October 15, 1966
- JEROME JOSEPH RINGENBERGSecond Lieutenant · January 27, 1967
- ALVA NORTEN MYRICK IISergeant · June 16, 1967
- CHARLES FREDERICK MARTINPrivate First Class · September 4, 1967
- DAVID WILLIAM HECKSergeant · February 18, 1968
- RUSSELL LEWIS WALLACEWarrant Officer 1 · March 8, 1968
- ROBERT LEE WORRELLPrivate First Class · April 26, 1968
- THOMAS BARRY MITCHELLMajor · May 22, 1968
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.