Like the young drifter in the popular song from the 1950's entitled, "The Wayward Wind," Gary D. Bell has been everywhere. The Wayward Wind is an account of his life's work and travels. Born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, young Gary began his travels by heading to Topeka, Kansas where he spent his youth working in a nursery, going to church, and working in Boy Scouting. Before attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, the family relocated to Gulfport, Mississippi. There Gary worked various jobs, graduated from high school, and attended two years of junior college.
The real adventure began when Gary joined the Mississippi National Guard in Gulfport. In 1958, Bell entered active duty. He spent four years in the Panama Canal Zone with the U.S. Army. There, he met and married his wife, Gladys. The couple was stationed in Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, where Gary had tours as a chief warrant officer in Military Intelligence.
After retiring from the Army in 1978, Gary felt the call of God for Puerto Rico as a missionary. He spent the next 30 years as a church planter and educator. During this time, he built two baptist churches: one in Jayuya and another in Adjuntas. In cooperation with other missionaries, he also helped build Puerto Rico Baptist College.
In 2002, Gladys developed Alzheimer's Disease, which ended their ministry in Puerto Rico. The Bells soon settled in Georgia to be with family, yet in 2012, Gladys went to be with the Lord. Thereafter, Gary travelled and preached in various countries to alleviate his grief. The Lord comforted Gary, however, and introduced him to his present wife, Brenda, a year later. The happy couple currently resides in Trenton, Georgia where Gary and other veterans formed the Honor Guard of American Legion Post 106. The Honor Guard has conducted final military honors for over 300 military veterans in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.