Roll of Honor

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Trooper

Gary G. Powless

Wisconsin State Patrol — Madison, WI

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch May 18, 1980

Age 31

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Badge 517

The Vigil Panel 122 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 7

Incident

Trooper Powless was killed when his cruiser was struck by a tractor trailer. He had just picked up the new cruiser and was heading home. A tractor trailer heading the opposite direction blew out a tire, crossed the median, and struck the patrol car. Trooper Powless succumbed to his injuries while emergency crews attempted to extricate him from the wreckage. Trooper Powless had served with the Wisconsin State Patrol for 1 year and was assigned to District 5.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WI-199EE230
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Gary. Claim this record.

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

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Trooper Powless gave the Wisconsin State Patrol 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of Wisconsin. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Powless.

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

Agency

Department Wisconsin State Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Madison, WI

Platform Identity whp.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1980

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 31

Badge Number 517

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Gary G. Powless served in the U.S. Air Force (1968â1972) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Gary G. Powless is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In WI, 124 of 317 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 Wisconsin State Patrol, 5 of 8 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Wisconsin State Patrol

of 8 officers

62.5% Accident

WI — Statewide

124

of 317 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident