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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2016)
JANUARY 15, 2016 S moke S ignals 15 Gunny Brandon walks on at age 80 By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Longtime McMinnville resident Percy Eugene “Gunny” Brandon, who was a fixture at many Grand Ronde Memorial Day celebrations, passed away on Friday, Jan. 8, at the Lebanon veterans’ care home after a long, arduous journey with cancer in the form of multiple my- eloma. He was 80 years old. Family members surrounded him the days before he passed peacefully. Gunny was born on the Rose- bud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota on June 29, 1935, to Howard and Bertha Brandon. His family moved to Oregon in 1942 and lived in Salem, Grand Ronde and McMinnville. Gunny attended Grand Ronde Grade School and Willamina High School, where he played on the 1950 all-star basketball team. How- ever, he did not graduate because he joined the U.S Marine Corps in 1953 at the age of 17. He was inspired to enlist after his older brother was killed on Iwo Jima during World War II. Gunnery Sgt. Brandon retired in 1973 after deployments in Ja- pan, Korea and Vietnam, where he served two tours of duty and received four Purple Hearts, which are awarded in the name of the President to servicemen and wom- en who are wounded or killed while serving their country. He also re- ceived a Navy Commendation and Cross of Valor. In Vietnam, he served with Fox still carried shrapnel from his wounds and continued to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. Gunny returned to McMin- nville to recover completely from injuries suffered in Vietnam. He worked for Tri- angle Motors, Home Laun- dry, Rowell Wickersham and the News-Register news- paper. He also owned and operated four businesses: St. Paul Rodeo Inn, Vets Club American Legion Post 21, Northwest Asphalt and Gunny’s Gym with his wife, Shirlie. He was a true patriot. After his retirement, he Smoke Signals file photo moonlighted, installing and Percy Eugene “Gunny” Brandon speaks donating U.S. flagpoles. He during the Tribe’s Memorial Day observance also had a passion for com- held at the West Valley Veterans Memorial in munity service, sponsor- May 2014. Brandon passed away on Friday, ing girls’ softball and Little Jan. 8, at the age of 80. League teams and Hood-to- Coast relay teams. Company of the 2nd Battalion 4th Gunny participated in local festi- Marines, known as the “Magnif- vals, parades and ran for election icent Bastards,” in the battle of as a Yamhill County commissioner. Dai Do. During the battle, which His involvement with Native Amer- occurred in spring 1968, about 400 ican organizations and community Marines faced more than 3,000 found him dressed as Santa Claus, North Vietnamese Army regulars. a gorilla and in traditional Native Ninety-four Marines were killed American regalia. He was a noted and most of the rest were wounded, lecturer and forum panelist on com- including Brandon. bat and Marine Corps life, as well Despite his injuries, Brandon as post-traumatic stress disorder. returned to the front lines only to Gunny completed his GED in be more seriously injured a few 1964, but also was awarded an weeks later. He spent almost three honorary high school diploma from years in the hospital, recuperating Willamina High School after 50 and learning to walk again. He years in 2004. In 1993, under the supervision of a veteran’s counsel- or, he began to write the contents of a book “Gunny, A Story About a Marine Gunnery Sergeant” that would later be published and now is in its third edition. He conducted a book signing in the Tribal Gover- nance Center in November 2007. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirlie; three brothers, Howard (Stubby) Brandon, John Brandon and Gary Brandon; sis- ters, Joyce Brandon, Mary (Bitsey) White, Leona (Toni) Stoneman and Geraldine Anderson; and his par- ents, Howard and Bertha Brandon. Gunny is survived by his broth- er, Bill (Pam) Brandon of Sisters, Ore.; three children, Jan Hulke and Rita Van Dyke of McMinnville and Russell (Lynne) Brandon of Sitka, Alaska; eight grandchildren, Dar- rick (Jacque) Bruns of Corvallis, Ore., Kayle (Kelly) Clayton of Cre- swell, Ore., Crissandra Van Dyke of McMinnville, Tanner (Krystal) Brandon of Chattanooga, Tenn., Tyne Brandon of Cleveland, Ohio, Ocia Hartley, Abra Cook and Kayb Joseph; and four great-grandchil- dren, Henry and Avery Bruns, Eero Brandon and Harper Clayton. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Evergreen Chapel, 500 N.E. Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville. Interment will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno requested at the Tuesday, Jan. 12, Legislative Action Com- mittee meeting that the Tribe send a Tribal Pendleton blanket to the family in honor of Gunny’s frequent participation in Tribal veteran-ori- ented events and to acknowledge his service. “He was a big part of our com- munity,” Leno said. “He was a big supporter of all the veterans events. He was a well-decorated Marine. He was a big piece of our memorial … he came out to our memorial all the time and brought his (Iwo Jima) statue.” The family suggests donations in Gunny’s behalf be made to the Semper Fi Fund at www.semper- fifund.org. n Includes information from the Yamhill County News-Register.
