
Gordon Tall was a US Army lieutenant-colonel who served in the 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in the Pacific theater of World War II. Tall remained in the Army past retirement age due to his pride in his service and his desire to achieve greater distinction, and, in January 1943, Brigadier-General Howard Quintard tasked Tall (whom he admired for his determination) to capture "the Rock" on Guadalcanal from the Japanese.