Coral Max Talbott was born on September 7, 1914, in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. He was the son of Coral Edward Talbott and Cleo Kirkwood Talbott. He was married to Eloise Ferdon Reynolds. He attended Peoria Central High School (Class of 1932) and Bradley College before receiving an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point through Representative E. M. Dirksen. Graduating with the Class of 1938, he was commissioned into the 6th Infantry Regiment at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, and later served in Little Rock, Arkansas.

In 1940, he sailed to the Philippines and was assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment. Talbott became executive officer of Company K and was promoted to Captain in August 1941, taking command of the company. When war broke out, he led his men in the defense of Bataan, earning two Silver Stars for gallantry, one for a nine-day stand that halted a Japanese advance, despite suffering heavy losses. After the surrender of Bataan and the Bataan Death March, Captain Talbott was imprisoned at Cabanatuan, where he died of cerebral malaria on July 21, 1942. He is now buried in the Parkview Cemetery, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, alumni.westpointaog.org