Joseph George Gill
Private First Class
B TRP, 1ST SQDN, 4TH CAVALRY, 1ST INF DIV, USARV Army of the United States Toledo, Ohio February 22, 1949 to May 05, 1968 JOSEPH G GILL is on the Wall at Panel 55E, Line 13 |
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Joseph G. Gill, of Momany Street, Oregon, was a member of a tank crew in Troop B, 1st Squadron, of the 4th Cavalry, of the 1st Infantry Division. Private First Class Gill had only been in South Vietnam since 28 March, 1968, when his unit was sent north from the Di An base camp on a reconnaissance in force mission following a report of enemy tanks having been sighted. In his last letter home to his family, 3 May 68, Joseph (known as Joey to his family and friends) wrote, "We leave tomorrow to go up north cause they said the V.C. (Viet Cong) has thirteen tanks up there so we have to go knock them out if we can." Little did Pfc. Gill realize they would encounter a numerically superior force and become engaged in a battle that would claim his life. At approximately 1323 hours, 5 May 68, southeast of the Phu Loi Base Camp of the American forces, B Troop found the enemy. Soon thereafter the lead tank of the American armored column was struck by a rocket round, seriously wounding the entire tank crew. PFC Gill then left his tank and ran through a hail of enemy fire to reach the disabled tank and its crew, manning the tank's machine gun as others joined him. PFC Gill proceeded to deliver devastating fire on enemy positions using the machine gun while also acting as loader for the tank's main gun, thus gaining fire superiority over the enemy. For approximately 30 minutes PFC Gill was able to maintain these actions until he was felled by an RPG round that struck the tank, killing him. B Troop was reinforced by A Troopers and military reports list the entire engagement lasting about six and one half hours, before the enemy retreated and contact was broken. According to the after action report for the engagement, U.S. Army brigades from the 18th Infantry, the 28th Infantry, and the 4th Calvary (Gill's unit), encountered elements of the 165th Viet Cong Regiment. Four U.S. Army tanks were hit with RPG rounds causing one of the tanks to catch fire and burn. The battle resumed on 6 May 68 in the jungle area as American forces flushed out the remaining enemy Viet Cong fighters. Enemy losses were listed as 440 VC killed. PFC Gill lived in Oregon, Ohio and graduated from Clay Senior High School in June 1967. One of ten children, Joseph Gill's brother Robert Gill (Army) had also been serving in Vietnam near the time of Joseph's death. PFC Joseph Gill was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" Device for heroism (Valor), and an Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in addition to other awards.
Placed by
and his nephew
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A Note from The Virtual WallThe engagements described above took place about 9 kilometers northwest of Di An. Four US soldiers are known to have died in the fighting on 05 and 06 May 1968:
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