First Lieutenant Gilbert was the co-pilot of a C-119B with the 62nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 314th Troop Carrier Group based at Ashiya Air Base, Japan. On 3 June 1951, he was on a flight over Inje, North Korea, when his aircraft was struck by friendly artillery fire and crashed about three miles northeast of Inje killing all four on board.

Gilbert was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.