My name is Jackie L. Gandee Jr. My father, Jackie L. Gandee, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran, passed on December 15, 2025. His wife took his bank card with the money he told me to use for his services and emptied it. Now I have no way of paying for his cremation and services.

The Veterans here are giving him an honors service, where his ashes will be put on a raft, sailed out into the Gulf of Mexico, with 2lbs of Tannerite. It's as close to a Viking funeral that I could get away with, which was his request. The GoFundMe money will go towards getting his ashes back for the services and feeding his friends that will be coming from all parts of Texas. I only wish he were around to see his send-off.

The Veterans Administration does pay about a thousand dollars but after the fact. They won't pay up front. So the bigger donators can be repaid afterwards. He was a troubled man from his wartime experiences but tried his best to be a father, which wasn't easy because he was my best friend. I should have listened more to the things he told me, but I'm kinda like him. Hard-headed. R.I.P. Dad. I love you. And I'm going to be ok.