Former Army Captain and Special Agent Thomas E. Brannon, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (ret.) “spent twenty-eight years with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS, with overseas assignments for sixteen years in Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Italy and England.  He served as a Special Agent with a specialty of Polygraph Examiner for twenty-five of those years, during which time he earned a  legendary reputation.  His career in law enforcement has spanned more than forty-five years, and he is currently employed as a Senior Investigator with the Medical Unit of a State Governmental Agency.  Tom served in the U.S. Navy attaining the rank of Chief Petty Officer and was later commissioned as a Military Intelligence (MI) Officer with the U.S. Army.  His awards include medals from the Japanese Government, the Government of Taiwan, Republic of China, The Vietnam Service Medal, and numerous U.S. Military awards and certificates for outstanding assistance in the resolution of sensitive high level matters.  Tom has also received many awards and certificates from State and County agencies for the resolution of criminal matters. Tom is a graduate of St. Mary's College in Moraga, California.”  Special Agent Thomas E. Brannon is the author of The Relentless Pursuit of the Truth: A Tribute to Jacqueline Jane Wurst, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class, United States Navy.

One reader of The Relentless Pursuit of the Truth: A Tribute to Jacqueline Jane Wurst, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class, United States Navy said, “I have known Tommy Brannon since 1964 when we were both NIS special agents and I was sent to DaNang RVN to assist in the overwhelming case load building up there where Tommy was trying to keep his head above water. His reputation as an outstanding interrogator and polygraph operator were well-known even back then. After that first meeting and working closely with him on several cases over the years this reputation only continued to grow.

But this book was surprising to me. I was ready for an in-depth account of a complicated murder investigation which eventually would result in the apprehension and conviction of the murderer, the type of book we see filling the non-fiction sections in bookstores today. But reading this book was a very pleasant surprise. Certainly, the murder case was solved and the suspect arrested and convicted, due to the diligence of Tommy Brannon; however, this is only the skeleton for the real purpose of the book: the celebration of the life of a remarkable young woman who had great promise. We seldom are privileged to come in contact with a person devoid of character flaws, but Jacqueline Wurst was definitely one of those rare individuals and the loss of her life was therefore even more tragic. If you can read this book without your eyes watering, you are a remarkable person. Reading it will make you sad that this fine young woman and U.S. Navy sailor never had the chance to become all that she could be (apologies to the U.S. Army) but conversely it will make you happy that you had the chance to meet her through Tommy Brannon's efforts. This is a very good book and a welcome departure from other non-fiction crime stories. Read and enjoy. Thanks, Tommy.”

According to the book description of The Relentless Pursuit of the Truth: A Tribute to Jacqueline Jane Wurst, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class, United States Navy, “On October 5, 1980, young Jacqueline Jane Wurst, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class, United States Navy, was murdered near the Lemoore Naval Air Station in California. Her body was discovered the next day after having been brutally murdered, sexually assaulted and thrown into the water at the Kings River.  The investigation went dormant for over two years, but two years later, NCIS Special Agent Thomas E. Brannon stumbled across a lead and revived the case. This is a true story of the tragic death of a beautiful, young, caring woman who was victimized on two separate occasions, the last costing her life.  The story touches on how HM2 Wurst's life and murder affected her family, her U.S. Navy family and law enforcement investigators, but it is not only a story about Wurst's tragic death, but also her inspirational life.”

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