Corporal Tilghman was a member of the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. He was seriously Wounded in Action by the enemy in North Korea on 18 December 1950 and died of those wounds on 14 January 1951.

Tilghman was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, 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.