Gary Alven Glandon
First Lieutenant Glandon was a member of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Da Nang Airbase, South Vietnam. On May 26, 1966, he was the weapons systems officer of a McDonnell Douglas Phantom II Fighter (F-4C) on a bombing mission along the coast of South Vietnam about 10 miles northeast of Qui Nhon, Binh Dinh Province. After making the second bomb run, the aircraft burst into flames and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1963.
The Knoxville News Sentinel
Wednesday Evening, June 1, 1966
Lt. Glandon Killed on Bombing Run
Mrs. Charles Glandon, Old Clinton Highway, Claxton, a grieving Gold Star mother, said today, “We lost all hope when we read in The News Sentinel Thursday about the F-4C plane disintegrating in an explosion in the air over South Vietnam.” The next day she and her husband were notified that their son, Fist Lt. Gary A. Glandon, was killed while on a bombing mission, Lt. Glandon, 26, and unmarried, graduated in 1964 at UT where he was Air ROTC cadet major, and went immediately into the Air Force. He was one of six Glandon sons who are serving or have served in the armed forces.
Exploded at 200 feet
The Claxton native was pilot of one of the two-man F-4C Phantom jet fighter-bombers. The Associated Press dispatch Thursday said the F-4C exploded in a freak accident when hit by its own bomb blast or another one while in a dice at only 200 feet.
Best Student
“We know our son’s body could not be recovered,” Mrs. Glandon said. “No, he wasn’t married or engaged. He was always so busy he didn’t take much time for girls. He graduated at Clinton High where he played the trombone in the band. During summers he had a U-T job at Oak Ridge.” “ He was one of the best students we have had. “Maj. David L. Alley, an associate professor of Military Society at U-T, said today. After graduation, Lt. Glandon was stationed at Lackland AFB, Tex., and then at New Mexico bases before going to Vietnam in January. His mother said he usually had written home twice monthly but she hadn’t heard from him for about six weeks before learning of his death. Besides his parents, he leaves the five brothers, Max, Tony, Dan, Emil and Kenneth Glandon.
- Rank: First Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 17 April 1940
- Date of death: 26 May 1966
- County: Anderson
- Hometown: Powell
- Service Branch: Air Force
- Division/Assignment: 391th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 7th Air Force
- Conflict: Vietnam
- Burial/Memorial Location: Honolulu Memorial
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XXII, Top Panel
- Sponsored by: Taylor Delaney
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