My father.

Red Leg

My father recently passed away and I thought I would share his military career with you.

Col. Bobbie (Bob) J. Brashear
Born: Feb. 12, 1928, Broken Arrow, Okla.
Taps: Sept. 22, 2006, Tulsa, Okla.
Age: 78.

Colonel Bobbie J. Brashear, Army of the United States, Retired, began his military service during World War II with the Coast Guard. When the war ended, he returned to Broken Arrow, Okla., and enrolled at the University of Tulsa. He soon realized that TU was not what he was looking for and began scouting other institutions of higher learning. His search came to an end after a meeting with Col. King, Professor of Military Tactics at the Oklahoma Military Academy. I knew I found my place, he recalled. In 1947 he enrolled at OMA, while also in the Navy Reserve with the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class, never looking back.

He immediately put his leadership skills to work and became very involved as a member of the New Cadet Detail, Guidon Staff, Drill Team, Saber Society, Vedette Staff, Disciplinary Committee and the Rifle Team. His hard work and dedication earned him awards such as the Military Achievement Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon and Distinguished Military Student.

In 1950, he was commissioned 2D Lt., Armored Cavalry and began a long, distinguished career with the U.S. Army. He first served with the U.S Army 95th Infantry, 1st & 2nd Armored Divisions, and then with the 10th Field Artillery Regiment, 3D Infantry Division during the Korean War. During his extensive combat service in Korea, he assumed duties as Battery Executive Officer, Battalion Radar Officer and Battalion Intelligence Officer. While in Korea, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Post Korea assignments included service with units of XIX Corps Artillery, including duty as Operations Officer (S-3) of the 805th Field Artillery and 4th Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment; Commander 4th Battalion 32nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lt. Col.), and Deputy Commander, 401st Artillery Group. He was charged with the reorganization of the National Guard before being assigned to the 4156th U.S. Army Reserve School where he served successfully as Assistant Commandant, and Command and General Staff College Director and Commandant (Col.). This tour of duty included collateral assignments as Project Officer to establish the 4th U.S. Army Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Deputy Project Officer for the U.S. Army Redeye Missile Training programs, and consulting faculty of the Command and General Staff College.

By his retirement, the Colonel had many achievements to his credit. He received a bachelors of arts degree from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., and was a graduate of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

His personal awards and decorations include: the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, European-American Middle Eastern Campaign, National Defense Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Korean Service Medal, the U.N. Service Medal (Korea), Coast Guard Service Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Korea Presidential Unit Citation. His regimental honors include the Presidential Unit Citation, the Valorous Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2-Oak Leaf Clusters, the French Fourregere, and the medal of the Order of St. Barbara. He also was inducted into the Oklahoma Chapter of the U.S. Marine "Chosin Few Society" for his diligence in helping keep the Red Chinese Army away from the 1st Marine Division as they made their way through a mountain pass to safety to the Sea of Japan during the Korean War. They were all brothers-in-arms.

As a retiree he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma (1988-1994). He was coordinator and co-chairman of the Tulsa Veterans Day Parade for 11 years. He is survived by his wife Charlotte and three children, Michael, Richard and Laresa Pappe, daughter-in-law Carolyn, son-in-law Mike Pappe, and two grandsons, Cameron Brashear and Shelby Brashear, along with brothers and sisters, Bill, Tom, Mike, Marilyn, Carolyn and Janet.

My dad told me many times of the enemy coming in waves and blowing bugles and, other more violent things, he never told my mother. He said they looked like ants swarming from a hill. At one point, in one battle, the artillery was firing straight on like shotguns, but the Chinese kept coming until they were all dead. The rifling would come out of the cannon tubes like spaghetti but they still kept firing. He watched a bazooka round go right through a Chinese soldier and kill a T-34 tank. In another battle, our guys put cannon fire on a mountain pass, Iron Horse Mountain, for a week to keep the Chinese from coming through. When it was over, there were more than 12,000 dead Chinese. The cold was sub-zero for months. Ice had to be scraped off the artillery rounds so they would fit in the cannons. Sometimes the fuel lines would freeze in the vehicles. Weapons would freeze. Men would freeze. It was like Russia in 1943-44. I have a few pictures and his stories. I may post some of the other things he told me at a future time. I am glad I wasn't in that war.

PiotrekLt

WOW!!! Realy impresive!! Great story!!! 12 thousend's dead in one battle?!! Like russianas.I', writing some articels about US ARMY history to Polish militari and history magazins ,your dad story is a great subject fo article. Meaby you would like to seand me some more ??

In Central Museum of Polish Army in Warsaw we have a BAR and M1 garand from Korea.Koreans gave those ase preset for polish comunists, There are plates with text:This weapon is captured on "American Capitalist Dog's" it is a sovenir from dark years of comunism in Poland.

Gość

That's a great story you've posted here !! Thanks to people like your dad we can now live in the world free of comunism.

Red Leg

Thanks, guys. The "Imperialist Dog" thing is still used in Cuba. I used to listen to Radio Havana for the stupid news they broadcasted. It was pretty funny. The same was true with the english language Radio Moscow. Some of the things they would say was like what we would make up for a comedy show about communists: "Imperialist Western Dogs", "Glorious Soviet Union", "Capitalist Pigs". It was entertaining. Laughing

My dad got an M-1928A1 Tommy Gun off a dead Chinese. It was marked "Lend Lease China, 1942'. That gun was given to China to fight Japanese during WWII and then was used later to fight Americans in Korea. He wanted to bring it home but did not want the problem of registering it and was afraid it would be welded, so he gave it to another guy before coming home. Actually, he could have registered it with no problem but he did not know that at the time. There are many foreign machineguns brought back as souvenirs. Today that Thompson would be worth thousands of $$$ and belong to me. He also found a German Luger pistol a Chinese had. It had come from captured weapons by the Russians during WWII. He carried a PPsH-41 for a while but threw it away because he said he didn't want one of our guys tossing a grenade on him while he shooting it. Besides, he said it was very heavy with a loaded drum. I held one years ago and they are very heavy for such a small gun, not like an MP-40. He stayed with his M1 carbine and .45.

I want to say how proud I am of the Polish people. You have endured decades of oppression, first from Nazis and then communists, but held your heads high and overcame those bastards. I was impressed when Solidarity closed the shipworks at Gdansk to protest the communist government. Though it took several more years, the commies lost and you won. Congratulations and thanks for your help against the Islamists. They are more dangerous than Nazis and communists combined because they think God is their Fieldmarshal.

I also like how the Polish government recently told the EU to suck an egg because the EU wants you to abandon your values to suit the western European powers. Western Europe will fall because they have no soul and have thrown away their traditions. They invite their enemies to live among them and embrace alien cultures that want to replace the host country's culture with sharia. I told a Frenchman one time that the only reason we were in France during WWII was to get to Germany. He didn't like it but I didn't care. It was true.

PiotrekLt

Thank's very much for those words !!! A speciali those about Gdańsk ,my home town. I'have one kilometer to this feamost shipyard.

Yup wehave bitten those bastard's. And I'have to say that we have great comedy's about comunissm times. The best is legendary (in Poland ) MIŚ(teddy bear)

O !One more thing BOMB PARIS!!!! Very Happy

Gość

Oh boy, thanks a lot buddy for that kind words about Poland and Poles.I appreciate it Wink

Maybe Im not old enough to remember those days of comunist tyranny but I know what was going on.
Poles defeated those commies but it wouldn't happen without president of the United States Ronald Reagan (thank you Americans for such good people) and help of CIA.

Im really fascinated about the United States ( I wish i managed to live there) and...gessh I just love this country Very Happy

and always thought that US and Poland is a one nation and should stay together Wink

Ohh yea, how about a little bombing raid over Paris Very Happy

?

Michael

Red Leg

Gość

Red Leg

[quote="serafin_vn"][quote]Hmmm, this thing is connected with your minds a little I guess:
[link widoczny dla zalogowanych] Wink

[/quote

Can we help it just because France is the way they are? They even beat themselves once. Their revolution turned into a civil war. So, it was a draw. Wink

past

Rick if it is not problem. Could you show us a few photos of your father?
In Poland till 1990 we had only"russian"point of view for Korean war, and now is not popular war.

For photos you could use
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Gość

Red Leg

past, pvt.Toye,

Here is a picture my wife put together for the funeral.
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This was taken in Korea. The guy on the right with the helmet is my father.
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My mother has many pictures. I will get them and scan as JPGs and post them.

past

thank You

Gość

Thanks Rick.

Red Leg

You are both very welcome. I will get the other pictures.

This is off subject but, I did this one of me. I put my face on a soldier in the 16th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. I tried to look horrible. Do I look like a sad bastard, or what? Laughing

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