Herbert Huntington Hatfield Gillis was born in Malden, MA in 1898. He joined the Army Reserves at the age of 15. At the age of 18 he enlisted with Co E 5th Infantry of the Massachusetts National Guard until Jan. 1, 1918. He was part of Hq Co 101 Infantry until Oct 1918; 217 Co Military Police Corp. until Apr 1918.

His engagements were: Def: Champagne-Marne, Off: Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne, Def Sec: Chemin des Dames; Toul-Boucq; Pas Fini; Rupt; Troyon

He was wounded in action on 20 Apr 1918. He served overseas from 7 Sep 1917 to 21 May 1919 and honorably discharged on 29 May 1919.

When he returned he married on Christmas Eve of 1920. Herbert and his wife removed to Waukegan, IL. Together they had two children and he eventually became a police officer.

On Halloween night of 1924 around 11 PM he and his partner were sent out on a call for teenagers acting out. They went on the call riding Herbert's motorcycle and sidecar. They crashed into a timber that was put across the road by some teens. Herbert's partner died almost immediately and Herbert survived long enough to reach the hospital and passed away after midnight on Nov 1st; two weeks before his 25th birthday. He was survived by his wife and two children, a 2 yr. old daughter and a son just 4 months old.

Although I never knew him, he has always been in my thoughts, ever since I heard his story when I was a child.

Herbert H H Gillis