Charles Travis Brannon

Brought into a military family on February 3rd, 1952, Charles TRAVIS Brannon unknowingly was off to a life of non-stop adventure, aided and abetted a year later by his more athletic and less fearless brother, Todd (he nearly got me killed so many times!).

Moving to Jacksonville when he was 6, Travis’ parents, Philip Clyde (pre-deceased) and Sara Ruth Brannon, gave us the LONGEST leash when it came to childhood imaginations- think 6-years olds climbing 50-foot gum trees; 8-year olds climbing 20-foot pine saplings to the top to see if they could bend them back to the ground; 9-year olds riding their bikes in the spray of the mosquito trucks (wonder where that cancer came from?!). Landing in Nashville at age 11, imagine 13-years olds leaping Evil Knievel style over a plywood plank and sawed off log (nearly lost my ear on that one!); USS Clorox; a limited license at 14 to deliver papers, a 15-year old delivering said papers with no brakes (THAT’S what the emergency brakes are for!)!

After graduating from John Overton High School in 1970, his next exploits began at the U.S. Naval Academy, followed the next year by Todd (found out he was also smarter!). He met his third brother there, Dick Adams, roommate for all four years, who fortunately kept me grounded and mostly out of trouble. The regimen of the military routine was just what Trav needed as well- if he had gone to a civilian college, he surely would have partied right out of school, but instead, the crucible of the experience created literally dozens of close comrades who still influenced him, and he loved them so closely after 46 years.

Being an aerospace engineer was the impetus of the next most exhilarating eight years of his life! After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1974, off he went to Pensacola, the Annapolis of the Air. Finishing flight school in 1976, he was assigned to fly the F-4 Phantom (THE most beautiful fighter ever built!) at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA, and eventually re-joined Dick in VF-103. A smooth talker as always, Dick was able to persuade the squadron Commanding Officer to allow them to fly together as a crew- new escapades (50-feet, 600 mph over the Mediterranean; arcing around Mt. Etna; NIGHT CARRIER LANDINGS- YIKES)!

The next four years brought more jaunts and capers- Top Gun; FIVE feet over the California desert at 500 mph (scared some donkeys on that one!); 1,400 mph; 62,000 feet above the Atlantic; trashed a $100 million F/A-18 (it’d take a full-page obituary to tell that story!); and so many more joyful, fantastic flights, compliments of the U. S. Navy! My Navy life allowed me to fly 4,000 hours in 30 different types of aircraft.

Knowing that he would someday want to have the most gratifying experience a human being can share with another, a family, he, with hesitancy, left the Navy for medical school at The University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1982, graduating in 1986. It was there that he received an incredible gift, the most amazing and extraordinary wife, Susie. Married in 1984, she gave him two unbelievable legacies, TRAVIS Walker (pre-deceased, 2019. A Marine attack helicopter pilot, he was killed in a training flight at WTI, a prestigious training program for a select few.). Patrick COLLIN soon followed, and the Brannon family was complete. Collin also became a Marine, and the military heritage continued.

The next thirty years flew by with so many new adventures- flying the southeast; enjoying the gulf coast; fishing in Canada with his sons and friends; skiing with families; and sailing the Caribbean. His greatest love was GOLF. He had 30 years of membership at Hillwood Country Club, and formed tremendous friendships, especially amongst the GBGs, those LCMF’s whose escapades are legendary! It took him 50 years to get his first hole-in-one, but then the barrier was broken, and he had his second nine months later.

Travis had a life that was full of joy, laughter, and nothing was left in the bottom of the Coors Light bottle. His hope was that those he left behind…beautiful, red-headed, green-eyed Irish lady, Susie; Wife, Nashville; his son, Collin, and wife, Kimber, Nashville; mother, Sandy (Sara), Nashville; Virginia, daughter-in-law and Milly, granddaughter, Nashville; brother, Todd, and wife, Kim, Brentwood; niece, Rachel, Franklin; Grandma Dixie, Kim’s mother, Franklin; nephew, Chase and wife, Linda, Knoxville; sisters in law, Patty Crase, Southaven, Miss.; Jeanne Shannon and husband, Danny, Horn Lake, Miss; nephew, Jason and wife, Jennifer, Cordova, Tenn.; nephew, Michael Shannon, Memphis; niece Colleen Sears, niece and husband, Tom, Jonesboro, Ark; Jimmy Corrigan, brother-in-law and wife Brenda and their children, Jimmy, Ashley, and Mary Allison.

There remains a long list of close friends: Dick & Kristin, Doug & Terre, Roy & Marty, Larry & Susan, Dan & Betsy, Teri & Brad, Mark & Bette, Michelle & John, Dawn & Mark, Riggs & Carol, Bill & Sandra, Rod & Jan, Bob & Cathy, Bob & Jenise, Bill & Jeanne, Garey & Elizabeth, Jimmy & Dana, Dennis, Bob & Kathy, Rick & Katie, and so many more…..

He would also like to give enormous thanks to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center and especially the staff- Drs. Skip Burris, Richard Geer, Johanna Bendell, Andy Kennedy, and the “machines”, Gretchen Burchett, Natalie, and Mary!

In lieu of flowers, please give to The Gary Sinese Foundation http://garysinesefoundation.org/donate/ or a charity of your choice.

Go Navy, Beat Army!