Lloyd M Gabriel

Lloyd (Gabe) Miller Gabriel’s eventful, adventurous life ended September 19 th , 2025 in Yakima,

WA. Certainly, Gabe is joyful in reuniting with his wife Ruth Ann and his parents and brother and is

telling some tall tales. Gabe’s journey began in Roane, TX, born to Hervey William and Ruth May

Gabriel on December 2, 1921. Gabe grew up in Groesbeck, TX with his older brother H.W. Gabriel, Jr.

known as Dub, and the family lived through the travails of the Great Depression. Despite poverty, as

Gabe said, “we couldn’t make a down payment on a free lunch,” he grew up in a loving and

supportive environment and learned the values of hard work, working on the family farm and doing

other work for neighbors for a dollar a day from “can see to can’t see.” The value of education was

also instilled by his parents, and brother Dub was a top student who earned a scholarship to Texas A

and M, but Gabe’s education was cut short by the Depression. One day arriving late at school (again)

after doing his morning farm chores, he was chided by Superintendent and Principal of Groesbeck

Schools, Hugh Whitehurst, for his tardiness. Gabe passed his classroom, walked out the door at the

end of the hallway, went home, packed his belongings and hitch hiked to Oklahoma to go to work in

the oil fields. In the intervening years when he returned to Groesbeck, Mr. Whitehurst always found

work around the schools for him, encouraged him to return to school, a faith in him that Gabe

credited for the education he attained later in life.

The trajectory of Lloyd’s life was altered by the bombs that fell on Pearl Harbor, December 7,

1942. Working as the assistant manager at the bowling alley, Gabe found out that day like millions of

Americans where Pearl Harbor was, and like millions of Americans enlisted in the United States

Military. Dissuaded by his brother Dub, a pilot in the Army Air Force, from joining the Marines, Gabe

joined the Army Air Force himself, and completed basic training at Wichita Falls, TX. Attempting to

avoid being separated from one his buddies from Groesbeck, he and his friend skipped out on the test

that would determine their military ‘job.’ Upon being discovered the friends were separated, Gabe’s

friend sent to New York, and Gabe himself to Spokane, WA. Gabe arrived in Spokane in a sleet storm,

having never experienced snow in Texas and thought he had arrived in the coldest place on Earth-not

knowing at the time that the assignment to Spokane would have a dramatic impact on his later life.

Lloyd was assigned to the motor pool at Fort George Wright as a dispatcher but later became

a chauffeur for high-ranking officers, most notably Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest III,

grandson of the Confederate cavalry general. Like many soldiers stationed statewide, Lloyd was

afraid the war would end before he saw combat and asked General Forrest how he could most quickly

see action. General Forrest advised him to go to gunnery school to fly on the bombers beginning the

Air War against Germany. Taking that advice, Lloyd completed gunnery school at Geiger Field in

Spokane and Lewistown, Mt. shipping out for the British Isles, arriving at Glasgow, Scotland in

October,1943. Gabe was assigned to the 351 st Bomb Group as a ball turret gunner; was unusually tall

at 6 feet for that cramped position on the aircraft. He was credited with two German aircraft shot

down, with another two probable kills before his B-17 was damaged by flak on January 30 th ,1944 on

his twelfth mission. In the only parachute jump of his life, Gabe bailed out and landed on a German

airfield and was quickly captured. His crew survived the jump and prison camp in German with one

exception, Sergeant Emil Ambrose who died making the jump. Gabe was gratified to learn in July of

2025, that Sergeant Ambrose’s grave had been found in Holland and his remains returned to rest in

the United States.

After being processed, Lloyd along with thousands of other fliers was imprisoned in Stalag Luft

IV in Lithuania, outside the city of Memel. As the Russians closed in on the Eastern Front, he was

among 6,000 men who were sailed back to Germany in February, 1945 and began what has become

known as “The Sergeant’s March,” (non-officers on bombers were all awarded the rank of sergeant) a

600 mile forced across Germany that was generally headed to the west so that the Germans could

surrender to the Americans/English rather than the Russians. The winter of 1945 was one of the

coldest on record in Europe; of those 6,000 men who started the “The Sargeant’s March,” only 4,500

survived, those that did survive were undernourished, lice ridden, wracked by sickness and disease.

When the march reached American lines in April of 1945, Gabe weighed less than a hundred pounds,

down from 160 he normally weighed. He was told by a doctor that examined him that he’d be luck to

live to fifty years old. But there was good news from home, Gabe had been reported “missing,

presumed killed in action,” and to honor him and his family, Groesbeck Schools presented his parents

with an honorary high school diploma. His parents were overjoyed to learn he was alive, and Gabe

used his diploma as a springboard for an extraordinary educational career.

Using the G.I. Bill like millions of Americans who became the greatest builders and educators

this country has ever known, Lloyd returned to the Pacific Northwest and Washington State

University, graduating in 1949 with a degree in Sociology. He began his teaching career at

Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii in 1952 where he met the love of his life and future wife, Ruth Ann

Rickabaugh whom he married in 1953. They returned to the mainland and taught at White Salmon,

WA, then Bandon, OR, then after the birth of their children, Kekoa and Kimo, the family moved to

Bend, OR where Gabe was Vice-Principal and Director of Counseling at Bend High School. During that

time, Gabe earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Oregon State University, then earned a

Doctorate in Education from WSU in 1966. Gabe went on to teach and supervise student teachers at

Central Washington University in Ellensburg until he retired in 1986 and did some teaching in

retirement for Heritage University in Toppenish.

Lloyd began a second career after retirement, a career devoted to serving his fellow veterans

and American Ex-POW’s. Gabe became involved in Veteran’s affairs through American Ex-Prisoners of

War, a service organization dedicated to assist U.S. military and civilian prisoners of war, working to

ensure that Ex-POW’s and their spouses were able to access benefits and assistance that they were

entitled to through their service to the country. Gabe became a crusader working to educate his

fellow Ex-POW’s, collaborating with the Veteran’s Administration to present information to Ex-POW’s

at meetings and conventions. Gabe served as Commander of the Tri-Cities Chapter of American Ex-

Prisoners of War and periodically served at the Commander as the State Commander of the

organization. Gabe took great delight in seeing that people improved their health care situation or

otherwise improve their living situation. The many friends he made in this role as they shared their

common experiences as POW’s and friends he made with other veterans organizations became a

centerpiece of his life after the retired. He enjoyed going to area schools and sharing his experiences

in World War II as well as advocating for the treatment and care of America’s veterans.

Lloyd and with wife, Ruth Ann, made their home on Ranchette Lane in Selah, WA from 1968-

2012 where they raised their children, grandchildren and numerous cats and dogs. Their two-acre

spread was at once home and sanctuary, where in retirement, Gabe enjoyed his garden, keeping the

water moving on the grass and enjoying the “wild spot” populated by quail, numerous birds, and

occasional skunk and pheasant. He especially enjoyed visits from his grandchildren and regaled them

with stories and advice that has served them well in their lives. Gabe enjoyed fishing and hunting,

learning to catch salmon and steelhead on the Rogue River in Oregon and later fishing the Klickitat

River in WA, usually accompanied by one or both of his sons. He spent many days with his son Kimo

catching walleye on the Columbia River, Banks Lake and other walleye waters. His interest in the

outdoors provided the springboard for his sons’ and grandchildren’s outdoor interests that they enjoy

to this day. Gabe and Ruth Ann enjoyed travel in retirement, visiting the great historic sites of the

nation as well as marveling at the scenic beauty of the country but always their most treasured spot

was their beloved home on Ranchette Lane. Lloyd and Ruth Ann made their final home from 2012 to

2025 at the Terraces at Summitview (formerly Living Care) where they were able to live active lives in

a secure and comfortable environment. Gabe enjoyed special friendships with Michele Cruz and

Shauna Avery who went well beyond roles as caregivers in making his life enjoyable. Important also,

were his longtime friends Guy Kaplicky and Keith Deaton, whom he always enjoyed a good

conversation and a chance to get out and have a meal.

Lloyd is survived by sons Kekoa (Grace) and Kimo (Judi), grandchildren Mitchell (Neala), Kellie

Ann (Niehues), Tate (Haley), Augustus (Ellie), Lela Ruth, and great grandchildren Blaine and Ellis

Neihues, and Hayden Gabriel. (Tate and Haley). For Lloyd’s 90 th birthday his family created a list of 90

Things That Are Awesome About You. #90 was as follows:

“ This should be the place to say “Thanks Dad,” for all the things you have done for us over the past 90

years, but there are no real words to use for how we feel for what you are and mean to us. Your

impact on your family and thousands of people you taught, mentored, helped to get VA benefits and

helped in general can’t be measured. If there can be satisfaction in the concept of “a life well lived,”

your life has been that and an inspiration to everyone who knows you. As puny as it sounds, “Thanks,

Dad,” we’re looking forward to next 90 years with you.”

We didn’t get another 90 years with Lloyd, but the 13 we did get were a treasure and he

leaves behind a legacy for those he leaves behind to honor and live up to. Gabe will be inurned at the

Veterans Administration alongside his Ruth Ann, and the family is planning a celebration of their lives

for next summer. In lieu of a ceremony or flowers, Gabe would best be honored by thanking a

veteran for their service and/or advocating for veteran’s causes to see that all America’s service man

and women enjoy the respect and care from their country that they deserve.