"...My father and mother came from Austria-Hungary..."

Benjamin A. Gilman

Benjamin A. Gilman War: World War II, 1939-1946 Branch: Army Air Forces/Corps Unit: 28th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group Service Location: United States; Mariana Islands Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant Place of Birth: Poughkeepsie, NY

Former U.S. Representative Gilman served as Staff Sergeant in the 19th Bomb Group of the 20th Air Force - flying 35 missions over Japan during World War II. A human rights champion, Gilman was active in the Select Committee on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia, and is a member of numerous veterans groups. He has a high regard for the military experience and speaks proudly of its effect on his work while in Congress.