Braun, Gustav Joseph Jr.

Braun, Gustav, born 15-01-1895, Indianapolis, Indiana,  got the Distinguished Service Medal in the first war as Captain of the U.S. Army with 47^th Infantry Regiment, 4^th Division, A.E.F. Date of Action: July 29 – 30, 1918 General Orders No. 46, W.D., 1919. Citation: The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Gustav J. Braun , Captain, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Sergy, France, July 29 – 30, 1918:

No medical officer or first-aid man being present, Captain Braun, then first lieutenant and battalion liaison officer, established a first-aid station and worked throughout the day and night dressing the wounded. On both days he repeatedly went out himself in the most intense shell fire and carried wounded men to shelter. When the water supply was exhausted, he made several trips through heavy machine-gun fire and filled canteens at water holes and a creek in front of the line.

In 1941 he was appointed as Assistant Chief of Staff, 9^th Corps Area  and in 1942 Commanding Officer Special Troops II Armoured Corps. In 1943 he was assigned as Chief of Staff, 69^th Infantry Division. He from 1944 was the Assistant Division Commander of the 34^th Division, nickname “Red Bull”   at the time of his death in 1945 in combat in Italy. The Division commander was Major General Charles Lawrence Bolte. The 34^th Division was a National Guard unit from Iowa. Braun had served in various staff positions within the 34^th, including Chief of Staff and commander of the 133^rd Regiment, a subordinate unit. The nominal infantry division size during World War II was approximately 12.300 soldiers. Additional attached specialty units, such as engineers, intelligence, or medical often brought the total to about 15.000. The 34^th Division was reconstituted several times to maintain its effective combat strength while sustaining such heavy losses.

The 34^th Division had fought some of the fiercest battles in all of the war, and at war’s end the division’s losses included 3.737 killed, 14.165 wounded, and 3.450 missing in action.

Gustav was the father of Gustav Joseph “Gus” Braun (1923-2017) , Julius Hoesterey Braun( 1924-2016) and Richard G Braun (1934-2020). Gustav Braun was the son of Lt Gustav J. Braun Sr and his wife, Anne Hoesterey Braun. He attended the University of California where he participated in ROTC. After Pearl Harbor he was called into active service and sent to Officer Candidate School. He was sent overseas and landed on Omaha beach shortly after D-day.

Death and burial ground of Braun, Gustav Joseph Jr.

The 34^th Division had fought its way up the Italian peninsula and was in the shadows of Monte Bel Monte and its well entrenched German defenders. Elements of the 34^th Division attacked the defenders, with limited success. The arrival of deep winter led to both sides digging in to wait for spring thaws. It was during this stalemate when Braun was killed. On 17-03-1945, he was flying in a light aircraft on reconnaissance when it was shot down by enemy gunfire, age 50.

Brigade General Gustav Braun is buried with his wife Anne, born Hoesterey, who died old age 93 on 16-11-1991, on Arlington National Cemetery, Section 11.

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