Gary Anthony Nelson

Anaheim Police Department — Anaheim, CA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch August 15, 1975

Age 35

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Badge 131

The Vigil Panel 116 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 5

Incident

Pilot Gary Nelson was killed in a helicopter accident while assisting detectives during a surveillance operation of a known narcotics dealer. He was a detective in the Vice Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit. The observer in the aircraft was seriously injured in the accident when the helicopter struck the side of Tahquitz Peak, three miles east of Idyllwild in Riverside County. Pilot Nelson was United States Navy veteran and had served with the Anaheim Police Department for eleven years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-FA30B70E
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Gary is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Helicopter Pilot Nelson gave the Anaheim Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Anaheim community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Anaheim Police Department

Type Other

Location Anaheim, Orange County, CA

Platform Identity apd.orange.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 15, 1975

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 35

Badge Number 131

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Gary Anthony Nelson served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Helicopter Pilot Gary Anthony Nelson is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Anaheim Police Department, 2 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Anaheim Police Department

of 6 officers

33.3% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident