August 19, 1947, Gary W. Phelps was born at the Hospital in Oneida, New York. He attended and graduated from Oneida High School in 1966. 1968, he graduated from Concordia Collegiate Institute, Bronxville, New York with the AA Degree. 1970, at Concordia Sr. College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, he graduated with a BA Degree. 1970-1974, he attended Concordia Seminary, St. Louis except the last Semester; St. Louis, May 1974 graduated with Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Lutheran School of Theology – Chicago. November 10, 1974 – Colloquy with Certificate of Ordination – LCMS certified. Pastor Gary W. Phelps, AA, BA, M.Div. served 5 parishes and 2 parochial schools (1974-1981) before the LCMS call to serve on extended active duty as Reserve Chaplain, Captain USAF.

Military Service background:

1970, Gary W. Phelps submitted his application for Chaplain Candidate 2d Lt., USAF Reserves to Chaplain Brigadier General Martin Scharlemann, USAF. 1971, Gary W. Phelps was commissioned Chaplain Candidate 2d Lt USAF-Reserves with ecclesiastical endorsement by the LCMS. In the USAF Reserves, Chaplain Gary W. Phelps attended the Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama in (1) Chaplain Candidate Orientation Class 73-B 2d Lt.; (2) Chaplain Orientation Class 77-A, 1977, 1^st Lt; and (3) Career Chaplain Class 1980 Captain. During 1974-1980, Chaplain Captain Gary W. Phelps served on Military Funeral Details and Reserve Training Deployments both CONUS and overseas. Capt. Chaplain Gary W. Phelps received the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious service in the Reserves, 1975 to 28 February 1982.

In the EAD-USAF, as Ch-Captain, he attended Air Command and Staff College, Air University 1983, and Academic Instructor and Foreign Officer School Class 83-D 1983. 27 September 1982, Ch Captain Gary W. Phelps successfully completed the United States Air Force Academy Executive Writing Course. July 1982, selected by USAF, BSC, Office of the Surgeon General and Judges Advocate USAF, CH-CAPT Gary W. Phelps was selected and participated in the Family Violence Prevention and Treatment Workshop and served in on-base investigations. 1983, with the 366^th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ch Capt. Gary W. Phelps was assigned to deployment exercise at Eglin AFB, Florida. 1983, while attached to the 388^th Tactical Fighter Wing deployed overseas in PRIZED FALCON Exercise, Cairo, Egypt, Chaplain Capt. Phelps’ performance during the El Salam Hotel fire was rated outstanding. He assisted United States Air Force firefighting personnel in extinguishing a room fire and evacuating hotel guests from a heavily smoked-filled hallway to a designated safe area. His calm and mature actions were noteworthy and truly reflected credit upon himself and the USAF as he received the Air Force Achievement Medal for acts of heroism on 14 July 1983.

Sep 1984, Chaplain Capt. Gary W. Phelps, USAF, despite undiagnosed service-connected injuries, was discharged from the EAD (Extended Active Duty) USAF and assigned to Full-time Chaplains Service in the Veterans Administration but at the end of the one-year internship he was rated “ineffective?!”  in 1985 and rotated back to the USAF Reserves. During 1985, Ch Capt. Gary W. Phelps was promoted to the permanent grade of Major and sent on two TDY Tours to Thule AB Greenland. At the conclusion of the 2^nd TDY tour in Greenland, his wife announced she had filed for a divorce, moved to Mason City, Iowa and filed allegations he had “mildly molested” their 5-year-old son?!  His Son denied it and there was no physical evidence. There were other allegations alleged and proved false:  For months Ch Major Gary W. Phelps, USAF Reserves was an inpatient at a dormitory at the Knoxville VAMC, Iowa while interstate investigations were in progress. No allegations were substantiated, and he was released.

Nevertheless, he was accused of more allegations for domestic violence with minors by a dysfunctional relative of an Ecclesiastical Superior in Iowa who gave her the wrong information about a guilty member of the USAF when it was not Phelps?!  She and her relative – the Ecclesiastical Superior – made phone calls in other states to falsely accuse him. Their pursuit of false allegations led them to the State of Tennessee where Gary W. Phelps relocated. He was then falsely accused but this time found a judge who would prosecute Gary Phelps and was imprisoned for 10.5 years in the Tennessee correction’s system.

An Advocate for Gary W. Phelps discovered evidence that had been obscured and, also, some more recently discovered, that demonstrates Gary W. Phelps was and remains the victim of a miscarriage of justice and applies for the Habeas Corpus.