Class of 1963
Robert Michael Gilchrist
"Gilly"
d 1966
| Service United States Air Force |
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| Highest Rank Major |
Years of Service 3 |
Combat Yes |
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Biography as of: Oct 29, 2013
Bob came to the Academy from Littleton, CO, after a year at CU Boulder. Following graduation he was off to Laughlin AFB for pilot training, then to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, to check out in the F-4C Phantom in August 1964. Upon completion, Bob joined the 431st Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) at George AFB, CA.
In mid-1965 the 431st got TDY orders to Ubon RTAFB, and Bob got to cross the Pacific in his F-4. He was one of our earlier classmates to experience combat. Barely 2 years after entering pilot training, Bob was over Tally Ho (North Vietnam just above the Demilitarized Zone) on 4 September 1965 in an F-4.
By December Bob had 51 missions and took a break to visit his big brother, John, in Saigon. After mission number 56 on 17 December, Bob's TDY assignment was complete, and he headed back to George. He and his front seater did manage to get a letter of reprimand for destroying the wrong bridge on a mission. Bob's attitude? "It was an enemy bridge, wasn't it?"
Bob was given a PCS assignment to Spangdalem AB, Germany - and a choice: go as a back-seater, or go as an aircraft commander after upgrade training and a TDY en route to SEA to get his total missions over North Vietnam up to 100. Easy choice for Bob, so his upgrade began.
While having dinner at the O' Club, he saw an attractive young woman having dinner with her parents. Bob told his friend, "I'm going to marry that girl." Bob invited himself to join them and thus began a tragic love story on the scale of Romeo and Juliet, but for different reasons.
If the Air Force had royalty, theirs would have been a royal wedding. Bob's father was a 2-star general in command of the Air Force Accounting and Finance Center. Bob's soon-to-be-fiance was Cindy Cole, visiting her family between semesters at UCLA. Her father, Dick Cole, had sat alongside Jimmy Doolittle as their B-25 left the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to raid Tokyo on 18 April 1942. As of this writing, Dick Cole is one of the 4 surviving Raiders.
Love grew quickly during the short time before Bob would leave once again for Thailand. The couple favored a wedding in Thailand with Cindy staying in Bangkok while Bob flew missions from Ubon in eastern Thailand. Both USAF fathers discouraged that choice.
In mid-1966 Bob again was westbound from California in an F-4. He became a Nite Owl, night fliers who flew many of their missions in the southern part of North Vietnam including Tally Ho. One evening in early October he was well on his way to his 100th mission when he stopped at the Ubon club for what Nite Owls considered breakfast. Ralph Wetterhahn was having dinner, so our classmates shared a meal. Bob talked of his upcoming wedding in Hawaii.
A few hours later, Bob's F-4 crashed in the water off Tally Ho.The engagement ring Bob had sent to Cindy arrived a day or two after the MIA notification. He had asked her to wait a year if he was shot down and missing. Cindy waited two.
"There's a place God overlooked when He said Let there be light Cause there's no place in the world so dark as Tally Ho at night." From Tally Ho Tonight on the Fast and Low CD
(See Remembering My Brother, Military Service 1959-66, a great tribute written by John R. Gilchrist, Jr. Lt Col, USAF Retired)
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