Tate High graduate John Earnest Gannon from the class of 1935 was born April 7, 1917, the son of William E. and Margaret “Maggie” M. Gannon. Because of his father’s premature death John’s mother was forced to move south to Pensacola to seek her fortune there. After Pearl Harbor, young John and his former brother in law Billy McLeod went out to the Fort Barrancas recruitment office and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on March 30, 1942. At that time John was living at 302 West Cervantes Street while working as the assistant superintendent of the Pensacola Creosote Company.
He was formerly married to Dorothy Kemp McLeod from the Pensacola High class of 1935 but was still close friends with her brother Billy. He earned his wings in December 1942 in Lake Charles, Louisiana before being sent to the South Pacific in June of 1943. Due to a shortage of pilots, Gannon was forced to make the trans-Pacific flight without a co-pilot thereby winning the distinction of being the first to ever do this in aviation history.
A second distinction by the young Pensacolian occurred on September 5, 1943 when he led the first squadron of planes to drop paratroopers into the Markham Valley in New Guinea. This airborne operation was the only occurrence of its kind in the South Pacific Theater. Ironically, one of those paratroopers he dropped was Pensacolian Elmer Thomas who lived at 707 South “G” Street and was serving with the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. For his numerous acts of bravery, Lt. Gannon was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross while his mother received a personal letter from Lt. General George C. Kenney, commander of the 5th Air Force, outlining his feats in battle.
In March 1945, Lt. Gannon was promoted to the rank of Captain along with his former brother in law Lt. Billy McLeod. Captain Gannon retired from the military on December 12, 1966 before passing away on January 3, 1990.
Captain John Earnest Gannon, USAAC, WWII
Pensacola News Journal Article of 10-15-1944
Pensacola News Journal Article 3-15-1945