William Gilbert
...The person I interviewed was Mr.
William Gilbert of Fairfield Maine. He was in the Korean War. He
enlisted when he was eighteen and he was sent to Korea when he was
twenty two. He was one of the oldest person in his squadrons. He was
part of the military police (M.P.) ...
...After coming home from the war he got off the train and was told to go home and put your uniform away and never take it out again and that is what he did. " ~ N. St. Amand
"...Mr. Gilbert was paid $135.00 a month in paper money. When he got home he traded in his paper money for real American money.... Mr. Gilbert said that when he arrived home it was such a change to not see everybody in a uniform. Mr. Gilbert’s time in war still affects him today. He says that once and a while he will have flashbacks and he still feels guilty about leaving men behind in Korea....
Talking with Mr. Gilbert opened my eyes to all the things I hadn't realized about war. I never imagined how hard it was on the soldiers not only when they're fighting but when they come home. It seems as if when you go to fight and come home that your life has changed forever.
Mr. Gilbert had said that he didn't care about getting all kinds of awards or medals, just being able to come home alive was the greatest gift of all. That really opened my eyes to a lot of things...." ~ M. Blodgett
"...He said he liked hunting and when he went home he couldn't even walk across a field without worrying about mines. And he couldn't shoot at a deer without knowing exactly what was behind it. That just shows how war changes you. It took 5 years before he could even think of hunting...." ~ R. Swett
"...I think the saddest part of this experience for me is when he was sitting there tearing up because he was telling us about how when he left he left his friends there and he didn't want to leave because he did not want them there without him....
...Mr. Gilbert says that he would do it all over again. When I asked him if he was proud of the service that he did for our country he replied by saying that he could never be proud of what he did, He said 'How can I be proud of killing men?' No he was not proud of killing men. Which I agree that maybe he shouldn't be proud of killing men and all of the stuff that came with war that he had to face. But I do think that he should be proud that he made it home safe and that he is alive unlike some of the unfortunate soldiers that lost their lives.... ~ M. Gilbert
...After coming home from the war he got off the train and was told to go home and put your uniform away and never take it out again and that is what he did. " ~ N. St. Amand
"...Mr. Gilbert was paid $135.00 a month in paper money. When he got home he traded in his paper money for real American money.... Mr. Gilbert said that when he arrived home it was such a change to not see everybody in a uniform. Mr. Gilbert’s time in war still affects him today. He says that once and a while he will have flashbacks and he still feels guilty about leaving men behind in Korea....
Talking with Mr. Gilbert opened my eyes to all the things I hadn't realized about war. I never imagined how hard it was on the soldiers not only when they're fighting but when they come home. It seems as if when you go to fight and come home that your life has changed forever.
Mr. Gilbert had said that he didn't care about getting all kinds of awards or medals, just being able to come home alive was the greatest gift of all. That really opened my eyes to a lot of things...." ~ M. Blodgett
"...He said he liked hunting and when he went home he couldn't even walk across a field without worrying about mines. And he couldn't shoot at a deer without knowing exactly what was behind it. That just shows how war changes you. It took 5 years before he could even think of hunting...." ~ R. Swett
"...I think the saddest part of this experience for me is when he was sitting there tearing up because he was telling us about how when he left he left his friends there and he didn't want to leave because he did not want them there without him....
...Mr. Gilbert says that he would do it all over again. When I asked him if he was proud of the service that he did for our country he replied by saying that he could never be proud of what he did, He said 'How can I be proud of killing men?' No he was not proud of killing men. Which I agree that maybe he shouldn't be proud of killing men and all of the stuff that came with war that he had to face. But I do think that he should be proud that he made it home safe and that he is alive unlike some of the unfortunate soldiers that lost their lives.... ~ M. Gilbert