 (Yuma HS YearbookPhoto) | World War II and Korea US Air ForceGoodfellow Air Force Base,San Angelo, Texas Service Number: Born: June 17, 1922 Inducted:February 25, 1943 Discharged: 1945 Recalled: April 23, 1951 Died:October 1, 1951 at San Angelo, Texas Buried: Fort Logan National Cemetery,Denver |
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Brandon of Akron.
The Akron News-Reporter November 1, 1951
Joe Brandon Dies in Crash When Trainer Plane Spins in onFlight at Texas Air Base
Lt. Joe Brandon Jr., 29, son of Mr. andMrs. J.F. Brandon of Akron, and a student officer, Lt. Cecil O. Brown ofBaseline, Mich., were instantly killed when the T-6, Texan trainer, in whichthey had gone up on a routine training flight, spun in from comparatively lowaltitude and burst into flames immediately after crashing.
Funeral services for the popular Akron boy, who was a flight instructor atGoodfellow air force base, near San Angelo, were held Tuesday morning from theFirst Presbyterian church in Akron with Dr. D.A. Johnson, pastor of the churchin charge, and the Rev. F.E. Dawson of the Methodist church assisting.
Mrs. Joe Spicknall, Miss Donna Reese, Steve Woodworth and Harold Wells sang"Under His Wings," and Mrs. Inez Krause Strauck of Brush sang "The Lord'sPrayer," with Mrs. Beth Cooley accompanying on the organ.
The pallbearers were Terry Hall, Lee Goble, Harold Wise, Bill Krause, KennyKeim and Gene Bishop.
Following the services in Akron the body was taken to Fort Logan and laid torest with full military honors in the National Cemetery.
Eye-witness to the tragic accident was John W. Grissom, 60, a farmer onwhose place the crash occurred. He told investigating air force personnel thathe first saw the trainer when it was up about 1,000 feet and it already was inthe spin.
At the time Grissom was standing in his back yard, perhaps 100 yards fromwhere the plane crashed into the ground. The right wing was wrenched off theplane when it hit a barbed wire fence and gasoline was spewed over thewreckage, instantly transforming it into a raging mass of flames.
Grissom and another man connected several lengths of garden hose to ahydrant at the farm house and poured water on the blazing fuselage until thearrival of a San Angelo fire truck about ten minutes later.
Lt. Brandon, a World War II veteran, was recalled to service as a reserviston April 23, 1951, reporting to Goodfellow Field, where he had since beenstationed, except for a six-weeks period between May 25 and July 7, when heattended a pilot instructors' school at Craig AFB, Selma, Ala.
Returning to Goodfellow from there, he had since been instructing, and underhis direction Lt. Brown was receiving training in instrument flying in theTexan trainer when the accident that snuffed out their lives occurred.
The Akron boy graduated from the local high school in 1940, where he hadbeen an outstanding athlete, as well as taking an extremely active part in allphases of the school curriculum.
He attended the University of Utah at Salt Lake City for two years beforebeing called in the draft on Feb. 25, 1943. After being stationed at AtlanticCity, N.J., he was transferred to Keesler Field, Miss., and later attendedschool in Michigan.
This college course in mining and technology was a training detachment foraviation students. After completing the course, Lt. Brandon was transferred onAug 16, 1943 to Santa Ana, Cal., AFT where he was classified for pilottraining.
He received his primary training at Ryan Field, Tucson, Ariz., and on Feb.8, reported at Cal-Aero flight academy at Ontario, Cal. to start his basictraining period.
After completing this, he reported to Williams Field, before being sent toRoswell, N.M. for indoctrination in the big B-17s. He received his instructionin piloting B-29s at Rapid City, S.D. AFB and was just ready for overseas dutywhen he war ended.
Lt. Brandon was discharged from active duty at Kirkland Field, Albuquerque,N.M. in the late fall of 1945. Returning to Denver he was employed briefly atthe depot and post office, later attending school at Colorado A&M, FortCollins, and then transferring to Denver University for another year ofcollege.
In the fall of 1949, he accepted a position as principal of the Lone Stargrade school, north of Otis and the following year moved to Yuma, where hetaught in the grade school until resigning in March to re-enter service.
His popularity with all whom he was associated wherever he went is a tributeto his friendly sincerity, as well as a testimonial to the high esteem in whichhe was held by those who knew him best.
Mrs. A.R. Weeks, mother of Mrs. Brandon, and Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Norman ofWoodward, Tex., attended the funeral services. Mrs. Norman is a sister of Mrs.Brandon.
The Otis Independent November 1, 1951
Funeral services were held in Akron Tuesday morning from the PresbyterianChurch for Lt. Joe Brandon, Jr. 29, who was killed last Thursday evening atGoodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas. A student officer was also killedin the crash, the two men were on a routine training flight in a T-6 TexanTrainer. Interment was made at the Fort Logan Military Cemetery Tuesdayafternoon.
Lt. Brandon is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Brandon of the U.S.Experiment Station. He graduated from the Akron High School in 1940 and thenentered the University of Utah at Salt Lake City, remaining there untilFebruary 25, 1943 when he was drafted into the service. He piloted B17's andB29's during the World War II and was discharged in 1945.
After receiving his discharge, he worked in the post office in Denver andattended Denver University. He taught in the grade school at Lone Star in 1949and then he was employed in a similar capacity at Yuma in 1950 until he wasrecalled to duty April 23, 1951. Lt. Brandon was an outstanding athlete in highschool and engaged in many athletic activities. He played with the Otis townbasketball team for a time last season.
Joe Brandon Jr., was born July 17, 1922 at the old Eggleston Hospital inAkron, Colorado. Dr. Kaylor was the attending physician. He attended Star GradeSchool and the Akron High School where he graduated with the class of1940.
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