Fred Garland Bragg, Jr
First Lieutenant
B BTRY, 4TH BN, 42ND ARTILLERY, 4TH INF DIV, USARV
Army of the United States
Etna, Ohio
April 24, 1942 to July 12, 1967
FRED G BRAGG Jr is on the Wall at Panel 23E, Line 55

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Fred G Bragg
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11 Aug 2001

I was on the radio with Fred when his unit was overrun.

Call me at 619/269-8418.

A memorial initiated by his friend,
Larry Patterson
4sanpat@cox.net


 
09 Mar 2003

His Life was an inspiration
His death, though heroic
Leaves a sadness
We will never forget.

From his brother,
Jeffrey S. Bragg
104 Huntcliff Dr, Columbia, SC, 29229
jsb121c@aol.com


 
Fred G. Bragg, Jr., attended BYU during his sophomore year of college, 1960-1961, and he had also applied to return in the fall of 1967.

First Lieutenant Bragg died while serving as an artillery forward observer for B Btry, 4th Bn, 42nd Arty Rgt, on July 12, 1967. On that day the enemy forces had managed to pin down his company with small arms and mortar fire. When the company commander was killed Lt. Bragg took charge and was able to regroup them into a more secure and defendable position. Moving bravely among his men, he boosted their moral by giving them the needed encouragement. Lt. Bragg was injured in this effort but continued to direct deadly fire on the insurgent forces. He continued to do this until a mortar round took out his last existing radio. When the enemy forces began to advance on Lt. Bragg and his men, Lt. Bragg stayed in the open to defend his troops and poured round after round of deadly fire into the advancing enemy force. Due to his actions on that day First Lieutenant Fred Bragg was awarded posthumously the nation's second highest medal, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Fred G. Bragg served his country for three years and was due to return home from his tour of duty soon after he was killed. Lt. Bragg also earned several other medals, not least of which was the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. One newspaper article cited a commendation as having said that he had received the awards for "masterful precision" in directing supporting artillery fire into enemy positions. Lt. Bragg was a true credit to his family, his faith, the U.S. Army and the United States of America.

Contact Information:

Mr. & Mrs. Bragg
1777 Jones RR
Granville, OH 43023

Taken from
http://memorialhall.byu.edu/vietnam/fbragg.html


 

A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 12 July 1967, the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, was engaged in the Ia Drang Valley by a battalion or larger force from the 66th NVA Regiment. When engaged, the 1/12's three rifle companies were physically separated, allowing the enemy force to attack the companies individually - B Company and C Company were isolated and taken under attack. Although C Company suffered only minor losses (5 wounded and none killed), B Company took heavy losses.

1st Lt Bragg had been with 1/12 Infantry for some months as the leader of an artillery Forward Observer team. When Captain Brian W Rushton, the B Company Commander, was killed, Bragg was directed to take command of the company. He did, and fought it with courage until he also was killed - one of 33 men who died that day.

Additional information and a full listing of the casualties is on
The Virtual Wall's C/1/12 Infantry Memorial

HQ US ARMY, VIETNAM,
APO San Francisco 96375

14 September 1967

GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER 4664

AWARD OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced posthumously.

Fred Garland Bragg, Jr., First Lieutenant, Artillery
Battery B, 4th Battalion, 42d Artillery

Awarded: Distinguished Service Cross
Date action: 12 July 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For extraordinary heroism in action in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Battery B, 4th Battalion, 42d Artillery, 4th Infantry Division. First Lieutenant Bragg distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 12 July 1967 while serving as artillery forward observer with an infantry company on a search and destroy mission near the Cambodian border in the Central Highlands. When his company was surrounded and the company commander was killed, Lieutenant Bragg immediately took command and directed extremely deadly artillery fire on the insurgent forces. He bravely moved among his men giving encouragement and regrouping them into a more secure defense although he was fully exposed to intense mortar and automatic weapons fire. Seriously wounded, he continued to direct air strikes on the advancing enemy until a mortar round destroyed his only remaining radio. Staying in the open, he poured round after round of deadly fire into the advancing enemy force. He gave his life while bravely leading his men in the face of overwhelming odds. First Lieutenant Bragg's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.


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