Gary Leslie Shank was born on March 16, 1947. He was killed in action in Vietnam on July 23, 1972. Gary was a Lieutenant and pilot in the US Navy. He is buried in Honolulu Memorial , Honolulu, Hawaii.
A great friend and a great person. Although we followed seperate paths to college, I would periodically run into Gary and spend a few minutes getting caught up. Like all that knew Gary, I was shocked and saddened when I heard he was shot down and again when his remains were recovered. I also attended the funeral and will periodically pull into the cemetery when I'm driving by.
Thanks for posting the information.
A special thanks to all that have served our nation and those that continue to do so.
Gary was a special friend as we went through high school as well as Baker University. I cheered for him in high school as well as college. We had a lot of "game dates" over those years!
Baker University saw a lot of SMW students for the little campus. I roomed with Lindsey Van Buskirk Cegelis, pledging Tri Delta. Gary, Rick West and David Clay also went to Baker and pledged Delta Tau Delta.
We saw each other at basketball games, on campus and at parties. He fell in love with one of our sorority sisters, Sherry Sanders. They wed after graduation and then he was off to the Navy with setting up house in Hawaii.
Naturally everyone was shocked to learn of his MIA. I remember Stormy, his mother, inviting some close friends of Garys over for dinner as Sherry was back in Kansas. To the best of my knowledge, they always remained close.
The friends consisted of SMW and Baker friends. I remember sitting at a table with Rick and David. They had explained what they knew and truly felt that Gary was immediately killed when his airplane took a hit.
Year's passed and Gary's body was found. The funeral was at Johnson County Memorial Park. My father escorted me to the funeral. I can't remember if was Perry Sprague or Jeff Stone that stood beside us at the service. Even after all those year, it was quit emotional!
Stormy was going to make sure her son was honored. She made sure through Senator Bob Dole that a missing plane formation was going to be done at Gary's service. When those planes came over the cemetery and the one plane took off as the missing plane, there wasn't a dry eye.
I'm sure that due diligence was done by the Navy to state that the remains were truly Gary's. Sherry told me that when she received the remains the forensic investigator told her that he must have been a great athlete. Yup, Gary was a tremendous athlete, but more important a wonderful young man and my friend!
I also have great memories of Gary. I graduated from Shawnee Mission West and Baker University.
I remember watching Gary playing basketball and he was a "star player" at both schools.
I also remember Gary playing in a "Drum Ensemble" at an assembly at SMW in 1964 or 1965. I'd never seen anything like this before or since...it was an outstanding sound and performance!!!
I looked up Gary's name on a Viet Nam Memorial site several years ago and found a comment from a lady that was wearing a braclette in honor of Gary. She was looking for any additional information on his life. She said, for some unknown reason, she was drawn to Gary and just wanted to be more aware of his life story. Even though she didn't know Gary, she wanted to honor his memory.
I, like everyone, have nothing but wonderful memories of Gary. It was just 2 years ago that I was at the Vietnam Memorial for the first time. When I found Gary, I know I stood there for at least 10 minutes, just staring at his name and tears just rolling down my face. While the rest of us have aged, Gary will be forever young in our memories!
Gary and I became close friends at Shawnee Mission West and continued that friendship at Baker University. His parents, Les and Stormy, had a cabin on Lake of the Ozarks. They invited Gary's friends to the lake constantly. We would water ski AM and PM but do chores from Stormy's "job jar" during the day. Due to the steep grade that the cabin set on everything had to be done by hand. We kidded that everything up had to go down and everything down had to go up. We back-filled the yard by hauling 5-gallon buckets of dirt from the road down to the seawall, two at a time. Not fun!
I was learning to barefoot water ski back then and took some horrendous falls but Gary was always encouraging me and telling me to "try it again, you almost had it". And dumb me, I tried it again. But without his encouragement I would have never learned.
During our senior year at Baker we found out that we both had joined the Navy, had the same report date to Pensacola, Florida (August 1969), and were both going to become Navy pilots. I only saw Gary briefly after that about 10 months into our training when we were summoned to a Captain's office and asked if we wanted to go "jets or multi-engines"? Gary immediately said "jets", and when I said "multi-engines", Gary tried to talk me out of that decision. After Gary earned his wings he was assigned to VA-56 which meant he would be going to Vietnam.
After earning my wings, my first assignment was as a multi-engine flight instructor in VT-27 in Corpus Christi, Texas. One weekend in 1972 I was on Squadron Duty Officer watch requiring me to stay overnight at the squadron hangar. About 6:00PM my wife and our Commanding Officer came into the SDO office and they told me about Gary being shot down. I was speechless, weak, and felt faint. I had to sit down. I was in shock and I felt like vomiting. My CO relieved me of my SDO watch duties and assigned the remainder of my watch to another officer.
I miss Gary, his smile, his encouraging words, and his friendship. And...
I appreciate all our classmates comments as I'm sure Gary's family would tell everyone too. I am going to print these comments and take them to Stormy during our reunion weekend. Thank you all.
Rick: Please give Stormy my love!!! She raised a wonderful son and he adored her and his father! Gary will never be forgotten as my son, Jordan, knows of Gary and the costs of war!
I knew Gary from 5th grade through our first year in college and we dated during our senior year of high school. The thing I remember best about Gary is that he made everyone around him better just because he thought the best of them. I know he made me a better person for knowing him. His parents have a right to be proud.
What a special young man Gary was! He would be so pleased to read everyone's memories. I have so many special memories of Gary at West and at Baker. One of my sons wore his MIA bracelet when he was in high school, and my granddaughters and husband have been with me twice at the memorial in DC. Everyone in my family has heard a variety of Gary stories.
Gary had such a unique personality. He was such a fun-loving person, and yet he was such a compassionate person. In many ways, he was truly wise beyond his years. I count myself very fortunate to have known him through our high school and college years.
In 1974, while Gary was still listed as MIA, a Freedom Tree was planted at Tomahawk Elementary School. There was a lovely ceremony which included Gary's family, military personnel, friends, and the staff and students at Tomahawk. Dr. David Circle and I stood next to each other, not quite able to believe that this had happened to Gary.
The tree and commemorative plaque are still in front of Tomahawk School at 6301 W. 78. I am including pictures..
Russ French
A great friend and a great person. Although we followed seperate paths to college, I would periodically run into Gary and spend a few minutes getting caught up. Like all that knew Gary, I was shocked and saddened when I heard he was shot down and again when his remains were recovered. I also attended the funeral and will periodically pull into the cemetery when I'm driving by.
Thanks for posting the information.
A special thanks to all that have served our nation and those that continue to do so.
Russ French (1st LT U.S. Army - Field Artillery)
Ginny Arnold
i remember the day i became aware gary was missing in action. tad ransford (smw65) gave me a MIA bracelet
with his name on it. gary and i went thru school together from kindergarden thru high school. we were't
close but he was part of my childhood. i still have the bracelet on my dresser so he and all the other
service men are remembered for a war i never understood. ginny lee arnold
Ginger Barr
Gary was a special friend as we went through high school as well as Baker University. I cheered for him in high school as well as college. We had a lot of "game dates" over those years!
Baker University saw a lot of SMW students for the little campus. I roomed with Lindsey Van Buskirk Cegelis, pledging Tri Delta. Gary, Rick West and David Clay also went to Baker and pledged Delta Tau Delta.
We saw each other at basketball games, on campus and at parties. He fell in love with one of our sorority sisters, Sherry Sanders. They wed after graduation and then he was off to the Navy with setting up house in Hawaii.
Naturally everyone was shocked to learn of his MIA. I remember Stormy, his mother, inviting some close friends of Garys over for dinner as Sherry was back in Kansas. To the best of my knowledge, they always remained close.
The friends consisted of SMW and Baker friends. I remember sitting at a table with Rick and David. They had explained what they knew and truly felt that Gary was immediately killed when his airplane took a hit.
Year's passed and Gary's body was found. The funeral was at Johnson County Memorial Park. My father escorted me to the funeral. I can't remember if was Perry Sprague or Jeff Stone that stood beside us at the service. Even after all those year, it was quit emotional!
Stormy was going to make sure her son was honored. She made sure through Senator Bob Dole that a missing plane formation was going to be done at Gary's service. When those planes came over the cemetery and the one plane took off as the missing plane, there wasn't a dry eye.
I'm sure that due diligence was done by the Navy to state that the remains were truly Gary's. Sherry told me that when she received the remains the forensic investigator told her that he must have been a great athlete. Yup, Gary was a tremendous athlete, but more important a wonderful young man and my friend!
Jim Holland
I also have great memories of Gary. I graduated from Shawnee Mission West and Baker University.
I remember watching Gary playing basketball and he was a "star player" at both schools.
I also remember Gary playing in a "Drum Ensemble" at an assembly at SMW in 1964 or 1965. I'd never seen anything like this before or since...it was an outstanding sound and performance!!!
I looked up Gary's name on a Viet Nam Memorial site several years ago and found a comment from a lady that was wearing a braclette in honor of Gary. She was looking for any additional information on his life. She said, for some unknown reason, she was drawn to Gary and just wanted to be more aware of his life story. Even though she didn't know Gary, she wanted to honor his memory.
Jim Holland '65
Kay Kracht (Wetzler)
I, like everyone, have nothing but wonderful memories of Gary. It was just 2 years ago that I was at the Vietnam Memorial for the first time. When I found Gary, I know I stood there for at least 10 minutes, just staring at his name and tears just rolling down my face. While the rest of us have aged, Gary will be forever young in our memories!
Rick West
Gary and I became close friends at Shawnee Mission West and continued that friendship at Baker University. His parents, Les and Stormy, had a cabin on Lake of the Ozarks. They invited Gary's friends to the lake constantly. We would water ski AM and PM but do chores from Stormy's "job jar" during the day. Due to the steep grade that the cabin set on everything had to be done by hand. We kidded that everything up had to go down and everything down had to go up. We back-filled the yard by hauling 5-gallon buckets of dirt from the road down to the seawall, two at a time. Not fun!
I was learning to barefoot water ski back then and took some horrendous falls but Gary was always encouraging me and telling me to "try it again, you almost had it". And dumb me, I tried it again. But without his encouragement I would have never learned.
During our senior year at Baker we found out that we both had joined the Navy, had the same report date to Pensacola, Florida (August 1969), and were both going to become Navy pilots. I only saw Gary briefly after that about 10 months into our training when we were summoned to a Captain's office and asked if we wanted to go "jets or multi-engines"? Gary immediately said "jets", and when I said "multi-engines", Gary tried to talk me out of that decision. After Gary earned his wings he was assigned to VA-56 which meant he would be going to Vietnam.
After earning my wings, my first assignment was as a multi-engine flight instructor in VT-27 in Corpus Christi, Texas. One weekend in 1972 I was on Squadron Duty Officer watch requiring me to stay overnight at the squadron hangar. About 6:00PM my wife and our Commanding Officer came into the SDO office and they told me about Gary being shot down. I was speechless, weak, and felt faint. I had to sit down. I was in shock and I felt like vomiting. My CO relieved me of my SDO watch duties and assigned the remainder of my watch to another officer.
I miss Gary, his smile, his encouraging words, and his friendship. And...
I appreciate all our classmates comments as I'm sure Gary's family would tell everyone too. I am going to print these comments and take them to Stormy during our reunion weekend. Thank you all.
Ginger Barr
Rick: Please give Stormy my love!!! She raised a wonderful son and he adored her and his father! Gary will never be forgotten as my son, Jordan, knows of Gary and the costs of war!
Jane Kissack (Ebel)
I knew Gary from 5th grade through our first year in college and we dated during our senior year of high school. The thing I remember best about Gary is that he made everyone around him better just because he thought the best of them. I know he made me a better person for knowing him. His parents have a right to be proud.
Linda Custer (Tracey)
Gary had such a unique personality. He was such a fun-loving person, and yet he was such a compassionate person. In many ways, he was truly wise beyond his years. I count myself very fortunate to have known him through our high school and college years.
In 1974, while Gary was still listed as MIA, a Freedom Tree was planted at Tomahawk Elementary School. There was a lovely ceremony which included Gary's family, military personnel, friends, and the staff and students at Tomahawk. Dr. David Circle and I stood next to each other, not quite able to believe that this had happened to Gary.
The tree and commemorative plaque are still in front of Tomahawk School at 6301 W. 78. I am including pictures..
Phil Hays
I recently noticed a war memorial in Antioch Park with an addition to those named killed in VN, Gary's. (It is such a beautiful peaceful park.)