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.