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8th AAF Pilot


Ricardo
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Hi,

 

I just received a uniform of a pilot 8th AAF and found the inside pocket his name ... "R L Brainard"

 

On this label have the rank of "Lt", but the uniform has the Captain insignias.

 

I searched on google and found nothing similar ...

 

Please, how can I find more about the veteran?

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

 

Ricardo.

 

post-202-0-14975600-1415725129.jpg

 

post-202-0-75747300-1415725136.jpg

 

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Two possibles:

BRAINARD, ROBERT F
BG US ARMY
WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
DATE OF BIRTH: 07/14/1922
DATE OF DEATH: 10/23/2005
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 170 Click to view the cemetery map
NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY OF ARIZONA
23029 NORTH CAVE CREEK ROAD PHOENIX, AZ 85024
(480) 513-3600

 

BRAINARD, RICHARD C
LT COL US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/10/1924
DATE OF DEATH: 10/27/2006
BURIED AT:
KUPER MEMORIAL CEMETERY
300 STEPHENS ROAD CHINOOK, MT 59523
(406) 357-2529

 

from VA Grave Locator. I couldn't find one with a middle initial of "L", sorry.

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  • 2 months later...

Google is your friend. From billiongraves.com:

 

FYI - Not the same veteran:

 

 

Brigadier General (Retired), Robert Francis Brainard died Sunday, October 23, 2005.

 

He proudly served his country for 40 years. An enlisted man in the Navy during World War II, he served as a beach master leader, setting up signal positions on South Pacific Beaches the night before invasions. He was awarded a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. After the War he joined the Oregon National Guard and quickly received a direct commission as an officer. He was soon a Company Commander. He transferred to the California National Guard in 1959 and assumed various commands. He ran the Officer Candidate School. He was a commander of troops activated to police the Watts Riots in Los Angeles in 1965. In 1968 he led the only National Guard Unit mobilized to fight in Viet Nam, where he served with distinction. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Vietnamese Medal of Honor in 1977, now a Brigadier General he commanded one of two armies in the largest United States military joint training exercised ever conducted, to prepare for desert warfare in the Middle East.

 

"Bob" Brainard was born in Pasadena, California, and died in Sun City, Arizona. His education interrupted by World War II, he returned to college as an adult and earned a degree in Civil Engineering. His combination of engineering skills and command presence placed him in high demand of major corporations, such as Xerox and MCI, who wanted someone who could "get things done." He worked all over the United States finally settling in Arizona for retirement. He and wife "Jo" traveled throughout the world and doted on their family. He loved to play gold and had a glorious retirement. His instructions for his eulogy were to "not make me out to be a hero," a statement typical of his generation.

 

http://www.palhbooks.com/rbrainard.html

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Ricardo, I read over the webpage where you found that photo. Considering that page is dedicated to an account of an officer's time in the AACS in Alaska (and that's where the photo was taken), I'm not 100% convinced it's the same Capt. Brainard. If he spent time in the Aleutians, then why not have an Asiatic-Pacific ribbon on his bar, even if he were later transferred to the 8th AAF?

 

And Paul, I'm sure you've handled a lot more initialed name tags on officers' coats than I have, and I don't know why, but I still see an "I" when I look at that printed tag. I would just expect a little more room between the right side of the middle initial and the period to account for the size of the letter block. There was a Robert I. Brainard as well as a Robert F. Brainard who enlisted into the warrant officers branch in 1942 and 1943, respectively, so I'm still stumped on this one.

 

Best of luck researching this one, Ricardo. I really do hope you can nail it down.

-- Jon

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The above posts are incorrect.....the middle initial is an obvious "I"....especially when looking at the sewn-on initials.

 

That is an "I" written in 19th Century style script. No doubt about it.

 

 

So....the question is....can someone find info on THIS man....?

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Here might be your man....


Name



Robert I Brainard





Serial Number



31165569





State



Massachusetts





County



Middlesex





Rank



Private





Branch



Warrant Officers





Army



Selectees - Enlisted Men





Birth Year



1917





Enlist Date



09-01-1942





Enlistment Place



Boston Massachusetts





Term



Duration of War, Plus 6 Months





Nativity



Massachusetts





Race



White





Citizenship



Citizen





Education



4 Years College





Civilian Occupation



Accountants and Auditors





Marital Status



Single





Dependents



No Dependents





Enlistment Source



Civilian




Conflict Period



WWII, World War 2

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Yes, that's the Robert I. Brainard I found. If he enlisted into the warrant officers, he could have easily gotten his commission shortly afterwards.

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