When high school senior Kyle Gilbert couldn't get into the military because of occasional headaches, he turned to Vermont's Sen. James Jeffords."I was used to people asking me to help them get out of the military, not the other way around," Jeffords said.
Pvt. Gilbert, 20, was killed Aug. 6, 2003, when their unit was fired on from a passing vehicle in Baghdad.
Gilbert, who excelled in martial arts, grew up in Brattleboro, Vt., and was stationed at Fort Bragg.
Regina Gilbert said her son wanted to be in the military like his father, Robert, and jump out of planes. She fondly recalled their telephone conversation after his first jump.
"There was excitement in his voice," she said. "It was just like I was talking to my husband."
Pvt Gilbert was with the 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division
Killed when an Iraqi vehicle ambushed his unit in Baghdad, Iraq on August 6, 2003
We honor his service and his life on Memorial Day and always.
