Gilbert B. Pearsall Jr. served in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant with the Headquarters Battalion, 48th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, during the Korean War. An Air Observer flying in a L-19, he was killed in action on July 4, 1953, while fighting the enemy in North Korea. He was awarded the Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
