Donald Wyatt Gentry
Agency patch
Game Warden

Donald Wyatt Gentry

Accident
End of Watch December 19, 1972
Age 36
The Vigil Panel 111 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Game Warden Donald Gentry and Game Warden Allen Flippo were killed in an airplane accident while flying a night patrol, searching for spotlighters in Southampton County, Virginia. The Piper PA-22 aircraft they were flying caught fire and crashed into trees at the edge of Darden Pond near Newsoms shortly after taking off from Franklin Municipal Airport. The wreckage was found the next day. Game Warden Gentry had served with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources for four years and had previously served with the Game Warden for North Carolina.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-C7D6B51F
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
April 2, 2026
Last updated
July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Game Warden Gentry served with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Thank you for your service to the Henrico community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Game Warden Gentry.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location Henrico, VA
Platform Identity vdwrcons.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 19, 1972
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Game Warden Donald Wyatt Gentry is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In VA, 203 of 654 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31% of this state's fallen.

At Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, 4 of 11 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 36.4% of this agency's fallen.

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
4
of 11 officers
36.4% Accident
VA — Statewide
203
of 654 officers
31% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Donald Wyatt Gentry's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Donald Wyatt Gentry Compares

Age at End of Watch
36
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Donald Wyatt Gentry is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location