Gerald Monroe Gandy

Jerry was born on September 13, 1940, at Baptist Hospital, Birmingham AL, the youngest of three siblings. His childhood was less than ideal as the State of Alabama deemed his parents to be unfit. As a result, Jerry and his older brother and sister were placed into the welfare system of the State of Alabama and throughout his childhood he was placed in numerous foster homes. When a foster wasn’t available, his siblings and he were assigned to a state orphanage.

They were later adopted by Euell Thornton of Eclectic Alabama who raised them and put Jerry and his siblings to work on his large cotton farm where they stood alongside other hired field hands, earning the same wages, as they also attended the local public school as well.

On his 17th birthday, Jerry left the cotton patch and joined the United States Navy where he finally found the home he had been seeking his entire life; he was rated as a Radioman. While in the Navy, Jerry earned his GED and later a college degree. His first duty station took him to Yokosuka Japan where he served aboard the USS Jupiter (AVS-8) and later the USS Thetis Bay (LPH-4).

He transferred to Naples, Italy in the early 1960’s where he served with the Communications Unit for Commander, Fleet Air Mediterranean. It was in Naples where he met and married his first wife, Alba, and they had their first child, a son. Jerry was later assigned aboard the USS Forrest D. Royal DD-872. Due to his impressive work ethic, Jerry quickly moved through the ranks and was selected as a Naval Recruiter at the Naval Reserve and Recruiting Station, Murfreesboro, TN. He was involved in many community activities while serving in that capacity and was later awarded the Key to the City of Murfreesboro by the Mayor. While stationed in Tennessee his daughter, Tina, was born.

It was during this time in the late 1960s with America fully engaged in the Vietnam War that Jerry, now a petty officer 1st Class, volunteered for a combat assignment in Vietnam. In 1969, after undergoing very rigorous training in Vallejo, CA, he was assigned to River Division 532 (The Dragonflies) with Task Force 116, during Operation Game Warden, in Vietnam. This operation took place in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam where the mission was to interdict Viet Cong weapons, personnel, and support supplies that was transported through the various rivers and canals in that area, and to stop communist “tax-collectors” who shook down local villagers to fund their insurgent efforts. Jerry was assigned to small, fast, and heavily armed Patrol Boat Rivers (PBRs) where his work ethic again quickly earned a position as a boat captain and a patrol officer. While in Vietnam, Jerry was promoted to Chief.

Jerry completed 189 combat patrols, some of which resulted in furious firefights and resulting in him being wounded for the first time. During one such outing, Jerry’s two-boat patrol was ambushed by Viet Cong hidden in the riverbank. The lead boat was hit and disabled by several RPGs and Jerry’s boat was struck by two rockets as well, one of which failed to detonate and lodged, still as a live round, in the hull. The second rocket hit and knocked out the port engine and blew the aft gunner off the boat and into the canal.

The crew was temporarily disabled but Jerry quickly recovered and faced a decision to either continue to engage in the fire fight or to rescue the crew of the lead boat, and his own crewman, still in the water. Jerry ordered the boat crew to return fire while he gunned the remaining engine on his boat toward the burning and disabled lead boat. Finding no one on board, Jerry then saw six crewmen from the two boats in the water by the opposite bank attempting to stay afloat. Under automatic weapons fire, Jerry dove into the muddy canal and retrieved each of the crew, an incredible feat as diminutive Jerry lifted each man, much larger than he, out of the water on onto his boat.

Jerry and his crew returned fire to the enemy, he called in additional cover from Navy Seawolf armed helicopter gunships, and he was able to successfully exit the kill zone. He later rendezvoused in a safe-zone with other Seawolves where he helped load some of the critically wounded survivors for medical evacuation.

Jerry was on his 190th patrol when his boat was again ambushed by Viet Cong armed with RPGs, one of which struck his boat. Jerry was seriously wounded by shrapnel from the blast, which took out two of his ribs on his right side and a large portion of his right lung. His crew applied emergency first aid and rushed him to an evacuation zone where he was medevacked by a Seawolf helicopter and taken to the 3rd Army Field Hospital in Saigon. This ended his tour in Vietnam and Jerry spent the next 4 years in various hospitals as he struggled to recover from his wounds, and he underwent numerous operations. Jerry carried shrapnel from that event in his body for the rest of his life.

He recovered enough to return to duty, and due to his rating as a high speed electronic telecommunicator, Jerry received orders to the Naval Communications Station in Kenitra, Morocco. With his family in tow, he moved to Morocco and during his tour there, he was promoted to Master Chief (E-9). That was followed by orders as the Security Chief for Naval Air Station Atlanta, GA. While stationed at NAS Atlanta, Jerry was selected to attend the US Army Sergeant Major’s Academy (USASMA) at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. The keynote speaker for his graduation ceremony was General of the Army, Omar Bradley.

Upon his graduation from the USASMA, he received orders to the Naval Communications Station in Norfolk, Va. He was later selected to the Admiral’s Staff of Commander Carrier Group 4 as the Command Master Chief. As a member of the staff, his commanding officer recommended that he accept a commission as a chief warrant officer (CWO). Upon his commission to CWO, he was assigned as the first communications officer and a plank owner of the USS Yellowstone (AD-41). His last assignment in the Navy, was facility commander at the Naval Communications Station Driver, VA. He retired as a CWO2 from the US Navy after serving 24 years of active duty.

While serving in the Navy, Jerry was twice awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a “V” for Valor, twice awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, three times awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal on 5 occasions. He also received various other medals, awards and commendations.

After his Navy career, Jerry served with the US Postal Service where he quickly moved from letter carrier to postal supervisor, then to Operations Manager where he served as a manager at all post office locations in Virginia Beach. He served a term as Postal Operations Manager in Norfolk and the Postmaster of Williamsburg, VA before retiring after his second career, which was marked with excellence.

Jerry served a long, sometimes difficult, yet very rewarding life and he was a true American military hero. He was pre-deceased by his first wife, Alba, and is survived by their two children, his youngest, Tina, a retired member of the Virginia Beach Police Department and former Mounted Patrol Officer, and his oldest, Johnny, also a retired member of the Virginia Beach Police Department and the current Chief of Police of Madison, Alabama.

Jerry was also a master beekeeper and took first place in the Honey State Fair VA. He was the block Captain for Charlestown Lakes Community.

Jerry is also survived by his beloved wife, Holly; and his two fur babies, Roscoe and Scooter.

There will be no formal burial service for Jerry as he has opted to be cremated. A small remembrance service is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Smith and Williams Funeral Home, 4889 Princess Anne Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.

Charitable donations in Jerry’s name may be made to the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in the hopes and prayers that other children will have a more fortunate start in life.