Brandau Awarded Quilt of Valor
David Brandau of rural Wilton (center), a Vietnam veteran who had served in the Tet Offensive, received a Quilt of Valor on May 9 from the Elroy American Legion Auxiliary. Brandau’s sons, Chad
and Cade, place the quilt on their father. The ceremony was held at the Wilton American Legion Hall.
Republished Courtesy County Line
Ontario, WI
www.thecountyline.net
DAVID BRANDAU
Contributed by Elroy American Legion Auxiliary
David graduated from Royall High School in 1965. Two years later, he received a letter that said “Greetings from Uncle Sam. You have been selected to serve in the Armed Forces.” It was April 1967; David was 20 years old. So he packed his duffle bag and headed for Fort Campbell, Ky., for basic training, AKA boot camp.
Fort Campbell is an over 100,000-acre basic combat training center used to enable new soldiers to transition from civilian to soldier. It included a Confidence (AKA Obstacle) Course, Hand Grenade, Bayonet, Pugil Stick, and Hand-to-Hand Combat Training areas, an M-16 Firing Range, and room for drills, marching, and physical training. They learned First Aid, received shots and uniforms, helped with KP, and ate in the mess hall and out in the field. They slept in barracks and in tents. They went out on Bivouac.
From Fort Campbell David headed to Fort Sill, Okla., for his AIT, Advanced Individual Training, in firing a 105 Hollister Gun, an artillery gun that supports the infantry. Fort Sill was first built during the Indian Wars. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and serves as home of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School.
David served with the C Battery, Second of the 77th Artillery, and served in Vietnam. Sgt. Brandau served during the Tet Offensive in the Battle of Burt.
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam launched a surprise attack against the forces of the South Vietnamese Army of the Republic of Vietnam and the U.S. Armed Forces and their allies. It was timed to take place during a holiday period to catch the enemy off guard.
One of those battles was the Battle of Fire Support Base Burt, also known as the Battle of Soui Cut. It took place on the night of Jan. 1–2, 1968. A formidable force of approximately 2,500 soldiers of the NVA and Viet Cong launched an assault on the Americans. Oliver Stone was one of those Americans. In 1986, Stone would direct the dramatization of the battle in the film “Platoon.” Survivors of the battle often relate how close to actual events the scene was.
The site of the battle was in an especially remote location in northern Tay Ninh province, fewer than 10 kilometers south of the Cambodia border in a patch of dense jungle. The 2-22 Infantry (mechanized), the 3-22 Infantry, and the 2-77 Artillery were involved in the massive attack by four battalions of VNA and VC. Throughout the night, the 22nd Infantry, supported by their artillery brothers and helicopter crewmen from the 187th and 188th Assault Helicopter Companies, fought back against the determined enemy assault.
When the firing stopped between 0530 and 0600 the next morning, the Americans were victorious in driving back the enemy. Over 401 NVA and VC were killed, with American losses at 23 killed and 151 wounded.
On the 4th of July, also in 1968, David’s unit suffered a suicide squad attack. David is not a real fan of holidays.
Sgt. Brandau received the Bronze Star with a V for Valor device and later a second Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for Meritorious Service.
In 2015, David was diagnosed with health issues from Agent Orange. He is also diabetic and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He received treatment for PTSD at the VA. One experience that contributed to the PTSD was having a friend die a day before he was scheduled to go home. A lot of veterans suffer from survivor’s guilt.
David developed a philosophy or observation that if a newcomer survived three weeks, they would probably survive their tour. You had to be on guard all the time. By the time you heard the whistle of a mortar and RPG (Grenade Launched Rocket), it was too late.
David told me the battles weren’t the only hard parts of serving in Vietnam; it was hard dealing with your thoughts during the down time. It became like a bargaining with your maker. You made promises of what you will contribute if you are allowed to survive.
David always had an interest in dairy cows. For eight years, he worked for the American Jersey Cattle Association in eight states. His contribution was changing the value and price of milk. At one time, milk was only valued for its butterfat content. Getting milk valued for its protein, which is what David worked long and hard to do, increased the price and value of milk. He is proud of this contribution and its impact on Wisconsin dairy farm families.
David is thankful for the rewarding and good life he has lived. He also wants to remind people of the sacrifices of wives and children when their spouse serves. He also appreciates the camaraderie with his fellow veterans in the Legion.
David expressed that he is very humbled to receive a Quilt of Valor, and he accepts it for the 58,000 souls that gave their life.
Thank you for the protection of our freedom, David, and welcome home!
Quilts of Valor Foundation Began with a Dream
By Sarah Parker
County Line Editor
The Quilts of Valor Foundation, in which the Elroy American Legion Auxiliary participates, has its origins in a dream that founder Catherine Roberts had when her son was deployed in Iraq in 2003.
On the Quilts of Valor website (qovf/org), Roberts states, “The dream was as vivid as real life. I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was: Quilts = Healing.
“The model appeared simple: have a volunteer team who would donate their time and materials to make a quilt. One person would piece the top, and the other would quilt it. I saw the name for this special quilt: it was Quilt of Valor, a QOV.”
The quilt’s symbolism is meant to convey thanks to the veteran. Roberts continues, “I knew a Quilt of Valor had to be a quality-made quilt, not a ‘charity quilt.’ A Quilt of Valor had to be quilted, not tied, which meant hand or machine quilting. It would be ‘awarded,’ not just passed out like magazines or videos, and would say unequivocally, ‘Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation.’”
Since the organization’s founding, it has awarded 382,765 quilts across the nation.
To nominate a veteran for a Quilt of Valor, go to the Quilts of Valor website or contact the Elroy American Legion Auxiliary for more information.
