Senior Master Sergeant Cannon, 50, of Charlotte, died heroically on Sunday, July 1, 2012, while fighting the White Draw Fire in South Dakota. Born June 5, 1962 in Charlotte, Sgt. Cannon was the son of Robert F. Cannon and the late Ruby L. Cannon. He attended Harding High School and entered the North Carolina Air National Guard on May 14, 1983. He attended C-130 Engine Mechanic Technical School at Chanute AFB, Ill in the summer of 1983. He worked as an engine mechanic for six years. In the late 1980's he deployed numerous times to Panama in support of Operation Coronet Oak. He applied for a position as a flight engineer and attended...
Senior Master Sergeant Cannon, 50, of Charlotte, died heroically on Sunday, July 1, 2012, while fighting the White Draw Fire in South Dakota.
Born June 5, 1962 in Charlotte, Sgt. Cannon was the son of Robert F. Cannon and the late Ruby L. Cannon. He attended Harding High School and entered the North Carolina Air National Guard on May 14, 1983. He attended C-130 Engine Mechanic Technical School at Chanute AFB, Ill in the summer of 1983. He worked as an engine mechanic for six years. In the late 1980's he deployed numerous times to Panama in support of Operation Coronet Oak. He applied for a position as a flight engineer and attended technical school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1990. He became MAFFS qualified as a flight engineer. He was deployed multiple times in support of the Liberation of Kuwait, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. His active duty deployments took him to a variety of locations around the world and Southwest Asia, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar. He was last assigned to the 145 Operations Support Flight.
In addition to his father, SMSgt. Cannon's family includes Melanie Russ Cannon, his wife of 22 years; his son, Alex, and his daughter, Madeline; sister, Teresa Wrenn (Eddie), mother-in-law, Alice Whelchel (Rick), father-in-law, James Russ (Sandy), and sister-in-law, Jennifer Nix (Michael); as well as his nieces and nephews, Stephanie Fowler, Richie Fowler, Abigail Nix and Addison Nix.
A service to celebrate the life of SMSgt. Cannon will be held at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, July 15th at Carmel Baptist Church, 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road. Interment with full military honors will follow in Forest Lawn West Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the church.
Memorials may be sent to Carmel Baptist Church Youth Missions, 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road, Matthews, NC 28105 or Church at Charlotte, Youth Missions, 2500 Carmel Road, Charlotte, NC 28226 in memory of SMSgt. Robbie Cannon.