All the men and women that serve in our military are heros in my book. But my Uncle Cecil is my personal hero. Cecil Asbury Gilbert was born December 14, 1923 in Dennison, Texas to William Asbury and Annie Violet Hartis Gilbert. He was the eighth of thirteen children and grew up learning to cook, iron, clean house and respect his elders. Cecil graduated from Grandview high school May 22, 1942. He then joined the Army Air Force and found himself in the middle of WWII. He was a gunner aboard a B52 in the 754 AAF BOMB SQ. On his fifteenth mission he was shot down.I was born on his twenty-first birthday in 1944. Unfortunately he was killed on the seventh of July before I was born on December 14. He was shot down over Lutzkendorf, Germany and buried in the garrison there. He was finally brought home in 1949. I remember his funeral with the draped flag and the twenty-one gun salute. I wish I could have known this brave young man that was my uncle.
Below is a poem written about him when he was finally brought home. It was published in the Grandview Tribune.

REPORTING FOR DUTY
Arthor Unknown
Home – they brought our warrior home,
One of the bravest of the land;
Back to his own folks and his church,
And buried him in his own free land.
They called him a warrior brave and bold,
And showed us his record to prove it.
He was only a school boy,
whose duty was clear,
And he knew nothing else but to do it.
He looked such a child in his new uniform,
As he marched so proudly away.
Shame on the tears – I won't be gone long.
We'll soon chase the Germans away.
Staff Sgt.Gilbert wentdown as one of the brave,
On his fifteenth mission on a B-24
To his reward in a hero's grave.
Awarded the air medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters,
A Purple Heart and a Presidential Citation,
A feeling of pride in the hearts of his friends,
And honor from the heart of a nation.
When the keeper of the books reads his record up there,
I'd look on that page and I'd see:
In the town of Denison and State of Texas,
Cecil A. Gilbert, born December 14, 1923.
If there's a recruiting office in Heaven,
For guards of that Heavenly beauty,
I can hear his clear voice as he snaps a salute;
Sergeant Gilbert, reporting for duty.