From Cost, Texas to Normandy Beach: World War II hero Marvin Braune. (original) (raw)
Braune was a member of the famous 36th Infantry Division during World War II, but he probably joined that outfit before the war, in 1940, when the 36th was a Texas National Guard unit. Like so many other young men, Braune went from being a citizen soldier to a full-time warrior when America entered the war. On that "day of infamy" when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the life of this young Cost boy would drastically change, as would the lives of all Americans.
Braune fought with the 36th in North Africa and Sicily, but it was the bravery he displayed during the invasion of France that earned him the Soldier's Medal for heroism.
The February 15, 1945, issue of The Gonzales Inquirer contained an article about Marvin Braune. It told of how the Cost soldier risked his life to help rescue a number of men from a landing craft that had been hit by enemy fire.
The newspaper quoted excerpts from the citation that accompanied Braune's medal: "In the invasion of Southern France a large landing craft approaching the coast was struck squarely by an enemy glider bomb. The seriously damaged vessel, loaded with heavy artillery ammunition and personnel, drifted ashore in flames and the ammunition began to explode.
"Although the personnel of the Headquarters and Service Company had been moved inland from the beach to escape the hurtling shell fragments, Tec. 5 Braune and some comrades returned to the shore near the burning ship and began rescue work."
According to the citation, many of the soldiers onboard the burning craft sought to escape by jumping into the water. Braune and his fellow rescuers worked until midnight, swimming around the ship and dragging men ashore.
The citation ended as follows: "Tec. 5 Braune and his comrades did not cease their unselfish and hazardous work until they had saved 75 men from drowning and had treated another 15 for burns, wounds and shock."
Young Braune and the other men risked their own lives to save 75 men! Think about that for a minute or two. Although we have no way of knowing what happened to those 75 servicemen in future battles, we do know that because of Marvin Braune's bravery; their lives were spared on that day.
It just might be that some of the folks who knew the son of Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Braune, may never have known what Marvin did "over there." Soldiers, who have actually experienced the horrors of war, seldom sit around bragging about it.
I like to think of it this way, at that time and in that place, Marvin Braune and his comrades saved 75 families from receiving that dreaded telegram. The one that contained the words, "We regret to inform you�."
Published with author's permission.
See World War II