Early Life
Jim Gilchrist spent his childhood in Kansas and Texas. He lived with his two twin older brothers and his father, who was a World War II Navy enlistee. At the age of seventeen, he left home because of years of abuse from his father and stepmother. He moved to a small apartment in Providence, Rhode Island where he completed high school as he worked at a car wash. His employer later described him as, “…a good worker. Jim always had a smile, even when he didn’t have a lot to smile about.” After high school Gilchrist enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
Jim entered in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at a site that is one hundred miles North of Da Nang, which was just below the Demilitarized Zone. He spent thirteen months in Vietnam, and saw about one hundred battles. Jim mostly saw assault duty during his tour. Gilchrist was struck with a bullet on the battlefield, which later earned him the Purple Heart. Today he keeps photos of his comrades and outposts to remind him of his experiences in the Vietnam War. His time in Vietnam has shaped the way that he views war. He says, “I’d be very, very cautious about sending any American soldiers into any war environment. I’d be very insistent upon adequate cover.”
Gilchrist holds a B.A. in newspaper journalism from the University of Rhode Island, a B.S. in business administration from California State Polytechnic University, and an MBA in taxation from Golden Gate University. He is a former newspaper reporter and a retired California CPA (Certified Public Accountant).
He currently resides in Aliso Viejo, California with his wife, Sandy.
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