Staff Sergeant Gish was a crew member of a C-47B Skytrain transport with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, "Kyushu Gypsies", 374th Troop Carrier Wing. On 21 November 1950, while flying a drop mission, the aircraft crashed eight miles South of Hyesanjin, North Korea, killing three on board.

Gish was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.