textgammelgaryedward1948.html

North High School Wall of Honor
Gary Edward Gammel
Class of January, 1948

Research done by Claradell Shedd, class of 1953.

Gary Edward Gammel

Gary graduated from North High in January, 1948. At the time, his next of kin was Mrs. Genevieve Lewis, 1349 14th Street, Des Moines, IA. His service number is 55092873.

Gary Edward Gammel

Year		Rank		Status

January, 1948	x	x	x	Graduated from North High, Des Moines, IA
1948	x	US Army	x	Drafted into Army at downtown Des Moines facility
1948	x	US Army	x	Fort Riley, Kansas for several days
1948	x	US Army	x	Sent to Camp Carson, CO for basic training. Joined with the South Dakota National Guard (armored division) for training..
1948-1951	x	US Army	x	*Fort Richardson, AK with Heavy Tank Company 196th Infantry Regiment
1948-1951	x	US Army	x	Sent to Fort Lawton, WA, then to Camp Carson, CO
February 21, 1951	x	USArmy/PFC(T)	x	Discharged. Mustered out at Camp Carson, CO. Transferred to a Reserve Unit, ERC, Infantry, 5th Army
1954	x	Family	x	Married Cleva in Sewal, IA
1951	x	Employment	x	Younkers, Des Moines
1951	x	Employment	x	Iowa State Department of Social Welfare, Des Moines
1952-1954	x	Employment	x	Look Magazine, Des Moines, IA
February 2, 1953	x	US Army Reserves	x	Date of separation from ERC, Infantry, 5th Army
1954-1985	x	Employment	x	Tested for Post Office. Worked there for 35 years.
1985	x	Employment	x	Security guard, etc.

*Fort Richardson, AK.
Fort Richardson Army Post is located approximately seven miles east of downtown Anchorage. It is bordered on the west by Elmendorf Air Force Base and on the north by training areas, Eagle Bay and the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet. On the eastern border is the Glenn Highway, and to the south are recreational and training areas, and Ship Creek. The southern and eastern boundaries consist of undeveloped lands and Chugach State Park.

The Post was established in 1939 on what is now Elemendorf Air Force Base in response to increasing world tensions. After the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the Fort was charged with defending Alaska from invasion and coordinating the Alaskan war effort. During the war its troops numbered 7,800. After establishment of the Air Force as a separate service in 1947, the Army post was moved to its present location in 1950. A series of realignments of the U.S. Army changed the nature and mission of the troops based at Fort Richardson, the most recent of which was in 1998 when the 172nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) was reactivated.

		Ft. Riley, KS Camp Carson, CO Fort Richardson, AK Photo below: February, 1952: Fort Richardson, AK

Gary Edward Gammel
PFC/E1
5th US Army
Regimental Combat Division

References

The comprehensive list of names from North High's 1893-2019 graduation classes are from Claradell Shedd's North Des Moines High School website. The names of all North High School graduates can be found online at http://www.ndmhs.com/. Gary Edward Gammel's 1948 class page can be viewed at
http://www.ndmhs.com/pages/yearclass1948(2008.60).html.

07/26/11: Living in IA.

Music: "Wind Beneath My Wings"