Tommy Emerson Gist was born October 29, 1939 in Pryor, Oklahoma (Mayes County), son of Charles Harris Gist Jr. and Viola Ann Emerson. Tommy had an older brother, John C. Gist (1937-2013).
The 1940 Federal Census for Hogan, Oklahoma (Mayes County) shows Tommy E. Gist, age 5 months, born in Oklahoma; living with his father, Charles H. Gist, a house painter, age 24, born in Oklahoma; and his mother Viola A., age 21, born in Texas. Also living in the household was Tommy's older brother, John C. Gist, age 3, born in Oklahoma.
Tommy had a beautiful wife, Sara, and two sons, Michael Gist and Mark Gist.
Tommy served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a Captain when he began his tour in the VietNam War on May 18, 1968. A member of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flying out of Udorn Airfield, Thailand, Tommy was the navigator of a McDonnell Phantom II Reconnaissance Fighter (RF-4C) on his first mission over North VietNam when his plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Tommy's remains were never recovered. He was listed as Missing in Action by the Department of Defense for a number of years and ultimately was declared a casualty on May 30, 1974. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial located in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was promoted to the rank of Major posthumously.
Tommy considered Durant, Oklahoma (Bryan County) his Home of Record for purposes of military records even though he was born in Pryor. Accordingly, his family erected a gravestone for him in his memory in Durant in the Highland Cemetery where his father is now also buried.
The 1940 Federal Census for Hogan, Oklahoma (Mayes County) shows Tommy E. Gist, age 5 months, born in Oklahoma; living with his father, Charles H. Gist, a house painter, age 24, born in Oklahoma; and his mother Viola A., age 21, born in Texas. Also living in the household was Tommy's older brother, John C. Gist, age 3, born in Oklahoma.
Tommy had a beautiful wife, Sara, and two sons, Michael Gist and Mark Gist.
Tommy served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a Captain when he began his tour in the VietNam War on May 18, 1968. A member of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flying out of Udorn Airfield, Thailand, Tommy was the navigator of a McDonnell Phantom II Reconnaissance Fighter (RF-4C) on his first mission over North VietNam when his plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Tommy's remains were never recovered. He was listed as Missing in Action by the Department of Defense for a number of years and ultimately was declared a casualty on May 30, 1974. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial located in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was promoted to the rank of Major posthumously.
Tommy considered Durant, Oklahoma (Bryan County) his Home of Record for purposes of military records even though he was born in Pryor. Accordingly, his family erected a gravestone for him in his memory in Durant in the Highland Cemetery where his father is now also buried.
Tommy Emerson Gist was born October 29, 1939 in Pryor, Oklahoma (Mayes County), son of Charles Harris Gist Jr. and Viola Ann Emerson. Tommy had an older brother, John C. Gist (1937-2013).
The 1940 Federal Census for Hogan, Oklahoma (Mayes County) shows Tommy E. Gist, age 5 months, born in Oklahoma; living with his father, Charles H. Gist, a house painter, age 24, born in Oklahoma; and his mother Viola A., age 21, born in Texas. Also living in the household was Tommy's older brother, John C. Gist, age 3, born in Oklahoma.
Tommy had a beautiful wife, Sara, and two sons, Michael Gist and Mark Gist.
Tommy served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a Captain when he began his tour in the VietNam War on May 18, 1968. A member of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flying out of Udorn Airfield, Thailand, Tommy was the navigator of a McDonnell Phantom II Reconnaissance Fighter (RF-4C) on his first mission over North VietNam when his plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Tommy's remains were never recovered. He was listed as Missing in Action by the Department of Defense for a number of years and ultimately was declared a casualty on May 30, 1974. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial located in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was promoted to the rank of Major posthumously.
Tommy considered Durant, Oklahoma (Bryan County) his Home of Record for purposes of military records even though he was born in Pryor. Accordingly, his family erected a gravestone for him in his memory in Durant in the Highland Cemetery where his father is now also buried.
The 1940 Federal Census for Hogan, Oklahoma (Mayes County) shows Tommy E. Gist, age 5 months, born in Oklahoma; living with his father, Charles H. Gist, a house painter, age 24, born in Oklahoma; and his mother Viola A., age 21, born in Texas. Also living in the household was Tommy's older brother, John C. Gist, age 3, born in Oklahoma.
Tommy had a beautiful wife, Sara, and two sons, Michael Gist and Mark Gist.
Tommy served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a Captain when he began his tour in the VietNam War on May 18, 1968. A member of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron flying out of Udorn Airfield, Thailand, Tommy was the navigator of a McDonnell Phantom II Reconnaissance Fighter (RF-4C) on his first mission over North VietNam when his plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Tommy's remains were never recovered. He was listed as Missing in Action by the Department of Defense for a number of years and ultimately was declared a casualty on May 30, 1974. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial located in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was promoted to the rank of Major posthumously.
Tommy considered Durant, Oklahoma (Bryan County) his Home of Record for purposes of military records even though he was born in Pryor. Accordingly, his family erected a gravestone for him in his memory in Durant in the Highland Cemetery where his father is now also buried.
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