Who is Gilliland from Fields of Fire and what is their importance?

Gilliland was an American soldier during the Vietnamese war. He was young and naive when he arrived in Vietnam, and like the others in his troop, he made many mistakes. He was proud to serve his country, and his family was proud of his service. Unfortuantely, he soon came to realize that the war in Vietnam was unlike any prior war. Gilliland was saddened by the reactions of the people back home, and the way soldiers were treated when they returned to the United States.