World War II Honoree

Seward Gerald Gilbert

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Rockdale, New York

Honored By

Daniel Gilbert

Relationship

Son

SERVED FROM 1942 UNTIL 1946. CAMP UPTON, ON LONG ISLAND TO ABERDEEN MARYLAND, TO KEARNS, UTAH. FROM KEARNS HE WENT TO KILMER, NEW JERSEY. THEN PROCESSED TO GO BY SHIP THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL TO NEW CALEDONIA. HE WAS THEN PROCESSED TO GO TO GUADALCANAL, ASSIGNED TO THE 873RD AVIATION ENGINEERS. THEN WENT TO TACLOBAN CITY IN THE LEYTE GULF TO FIX AN AIRPORT BUT IT WAS COMPLETED BEFORE THEY ARRIVED. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO FIX ROADS ACROSS THE ISLAND. FROM THERE HE PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE INVASION OF MINDANAO ISLAND WHILE IT WAS OCCUPIED BY THE JAPANESE AND UNLOADED FROM AN LST BOAT AT THE CITY OF ZAMBOANGA. TOOK OVER THE AIRPORT, REFURBISHING IT SO FIGHTER PLANES COULD OPERATE THERE. AFTER THE FIELD WAS REPAIRED AND TOWER INSTALLED (IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS), HE LEFT FOR OKINAWA TO BUILD ANOTHER AIRSTRIP. THIS WENT ON UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. HE WAS AT OKINAWA WHEN THE ATOMIC BOMBS WERE DROPPED. IN THE WINTER OF 1945/1946 HE RETURNED FROM THE PACIFIC AND WAS DISCHARGED.