Salute to Veterans: He served proudly during three wars, in three military branches

The collection of military medals pinned inside a picture frame at the home of 92-year-old Robert Gilbert are a testament to the more than two decades the longtime Mercedian served his country.

Even more impressive, Gilbert, who is a grand marshal in this year’s Merced County Veterans Day Parade, is one of only a few local vets who served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War – in three different branches of the military.

Born in Beaver, Ore., Gilbert served in the military a total of 28 years – four years as a reservist, and 24 years active duty. He retired as a lieutenant colonel after serving in the Vietnam War in 1970. “All of my military career has been a good experience,” he said.

As Gilbert explains it, he enlisted in the Navy, joining as a cadet in the flying program in 1942, at age 21 during World War II. After a year in the cadet program, he was discharged and joined the Army Air Corps, where he worked as a navigator on B-24 bombers. Gilbert and his crew were on their way to the Pacific Theater when the war came to an end, according to a biography Gilbert supplied to the Sun-Star.

After World War II, Gilbert finished his college education, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration, but was recalled to service in 1951 for the Korean War. He served in the Air Force, as the Army Air Corps was absorbed into that branch in 1947. During the Korean War, Gilbert’s duties included flying personnel and supplies to and from Japan.

During one particular mission, two C-47 planes loaded with radio equipment needed to be delivered to Japan. Because those planes could not make the long flight across the Pacific Ocean, Gilbert and this crew had to fly east by way of Iceland and Greenland through Europe, North Africa, Asia, the Philippines, north to Taiwan, Okinawa and on to Japan.

In fact, it’s difficult to name a country Gilbert hasn’t visited during his yeras in the service. A few he named off the top of his head included France, Italy, Cypress, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Canada and the Netherlands.

Gilbert’s medals include a Bronze Star, received in Vietnam for meritorious service. He also received an Air Force Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.

“Probably the best achievement I ever had was meeting my wife while I was in the military,” Gilbert said with a smile, talking about meeting his wife, Anne, in Dover, Del. The couple have been married since 1955 and have three children, five grandchildren.

Gilbert’s education served him well both during and after his military career. He’s been a licensed real estate broker since 1946, and worked as an accounting and finance officer on military bases.

He worked for many years as a real estate broker in Merced, and remains active in the Merced County Association of Realtors, and serves on several committees. His family moved to Merced in 1967 after he was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, and he’s remained here since.

Gilbert’s legacy of public service has definitely rubbed off onto his children. His son, Robert Gilbert Jr., called his father “a hero.”

“Loyalty, attention to duty, honesty, honor, integrity – those are important things and we were raised with that. You are who your name is,” Gilbert Jr. said.

A retired Merced police sergeant, Gilbert Jr. received a medal of honor from the department years ago. He gets teary-eyed when he remembered his father pinning the medal to his uniform during the award ceremony.

“That was the only guy I felt had the credentials to pin that medal. Because of who he is and what he’s done,” Gilbert Jr. said. “I am who I am because of him.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Salute to Veterans: He served proudly during three wars, in three military branches."