Dear friends:

My two all-time favorite war heroes I want to honor this Memorial Day are my father, James D. Bramlett, Sr., and his brother, my uncle, C.B. Bramlett, Jr.  Both were deceased many years ago.

They sent my father to Ft. Jackson, SC, a famous and sprawling training base.  My mother and I visited him there.  I was age 10.

He was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division (Andrew Jackson's famous "Old Hickory" division), 117th Infantry Regiment.  He trained further at Ft Jackson and other bases until finally shipped to England in early 1944 to stage for the invasion of France.  In June 1944 he landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy, and was in combat throughout Europe until Hitler was finally defeated.

As far as I know, he never got a scratch, by the grace of God.  It was a miracle.

I also honor his brother (my uncle) C.B. Bramlett, Jr., who joined the Army right after December 7, 1941.  He became an aircraft mechanic on B-24 bombers and was a Crew Chief with the Ninth Air Force in North Africa, serving mostly in the desert through our conquest there and then on into Italy.  (Coincidentally, during my Air Force career, one of my assignments was at HQ, Ninth Air Force, then at Shaw AFB, SC.)

These were members of what journalist Tom Brokaw called the "The Greatest Generation."  Their service and sacrifice were truly great.  I am retired military, but I cannot hold a candle to what they did.

Jim Bramlett
Lt. Colonel. USAF (Ret)


P.S.
After my father and my uncle, my next favorite war hero is U.S. Marine Corps fighter ace Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington.  "Pappy" Boyington was a highly decorated American combat pilot during World War II in the Pacific. He received both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.  See http://acepilots.com/usmc_boyington.html