US Navy Lt. Herbert Talbott Gill was born on January 7, 1914 in Twinsburg, Summit County, Ohio, the son of Harry Edward Gill (1873-1972) and Inez M. Talbott (1884-1963). His parents married on June 18, 1908 and raised their family in Twinsburg. His father supported his family as a well-known cattle dealer and farmer. At one time, he headed the Twinsburg Grange and was a member of the Board of Education in the 1930's.
After finishing high school in Twinsburg, Herbert enrolled at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. There, he became an outstanding football player and wrestler. Upon enlistment in the US Navy, he volunteered for the naval flight program and was sent to NAS Pensacola for training. While stationed there he met Miss Frances Kaythryne Walker (1921-2017), the daughter of Anna Walker (1906-1966) who was remarried to Edward Frederick Foley (SGT USA) (1896-1982), a WWI and WWII veteran. In 1938, Frances had been a "fountain worker" for Walgreens but by 1940 she was a clerk. Herbert and Frances were married in Santa Rosa County on May 21, 1941 most likely because he was stationed at Whiting Field at the time.
Finally, Herbert received orders to report to the fleet carrier, USS Yorktown while Frances remained at her mother and step-fathers home at 114 Country Club Road in Pensacola. After Herbert's arrival aboard ship he was assigned to Squadron VF-1 as a fighter pilot flying a F6F Hellcat. His carrier was commissioned on April 15, 1943 while bearing the name of its predecessor that was sunk at the battle of Midway by a enemy submarine on June 7, 1942.
The Yorktown entered combat operations on October 5, 1943 with training missions against live enemy targets on Wake Island. On November 10, she left Pearl Harbor with Task Force #38 bound for the Gilbert Islands. She turned into the wind on November 19 and launched her strike against the enemy fornications and airfields on Jaluit and Mili Atoll. The purpose of this mission was to destroy the ability of the Japanese to interfere with the Marine landing on Tarawa, Abemama, and Makin Islands set for November 20. After several days of bombing, the Yorktown began her voyage back to Pearl Harbor. En route they launched subsequent strikes against the enemy on Wotje and Kwajalein Island in the Marshalls on December 4. During this strike, Lt. Herbert Talbott Gill was shot down and killed as his Hellcat sunk beneath the sea to a watery grave.
His family was notified in February 1944 that the son was missing without a trace and presumed dead. There would be no funeral, no casket, and no closure for the family. As the years went by his sister Ruth B. (1908-1991) would live out her life with her husband Raymond "Ray" H. Lambert. His mother Inez M. would pass away in 1963 in Twinsburg followed by his father in 1972. As for his wife, Frances would marry in 1947 to Milner "Andy" Lauzer Andrews (1918-2004), a Navy veteran of WWII, Korea, Vietnam. He would retire a Commander before passing away in 2004. Frances would join him in 2017 in Barrancas Cemetery.
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