Marine Corporal Farrell Ashton Gilliam, born September of 1986, in Chico, California, beloved son of Michael and Lisa Gilliam; beloved brother of Daniel.
Farrell graduated from Burroughs High School in 2007. While at Burroughs, he excelled in Jr ROTC and was captain of the Rifle Team. After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps, completing two tours of duty and earning the rank of corporal.
The Camp Pendleton Infantryman survived three months of combat with the “Darkhorse” 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in Sangin, Afghanistan – one of the deadliest battlegrounds of the war.
Amid firefights and insurgents’ bombs, Gilliam saw limbs strewn across the ground. He loaded broken, bleeding bodies for medical evacuation, and grieved for the friends they could not save.
On January 5, 2011, he was severely wounded after stepping on an IED while on a dismounted patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Gilliam, a double amputee, endured more than 30 surgeries and three years of rehabilitation. Always a fighter, Corporal Gilliam faced all his obstacles head on, managing to overcome every physical challenge that presented itself.
On January 28, 2011, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal while in the Intensive Care Unit at Bethesda, Maryland. He was a brave warrior and a fine Marine.
Cpl Farrell A Gilliam lost his battle with PTSD, January 9, 2014. He was 26 years old.
Cpl Farrell A Gilliam’s story:
Add your loved one to the wall
