Scope and Contents Orval Gillen (b. 1923) was born in Sandy, Utah, and spent his childhood there and in Myton, Utah. He was drafted into the army in December 1943 and assigned to the 718th Railway Operation Battalion, Company A. His duties took him to Europe, where he operated bulldozers and other heavy equipment, clearing away rail accidents, damaged bridges, and other large large-scale operations. He was discharged in February 1946.