Brabham Jr., Thomas J., St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue and submitted by Inez Bridges Tate.
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Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives
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From "St. Helena Vets Remember World War II: Personal Interviews
With World War II Vets", published by St. Helena Historical
Association, 1995.  Compiled and edited by Inez Bridges Tate and
reprinted with permission.

     Thomas J. Brabham, Jr. (TJ) was born in Liverpool and grew

up in north St. Helena Parish.  He attended school at New Zion,

Oakland and Greensburg.  He did not graduate from high school but

later received his GED.

     TJ was drafted November 27, 1943.  He recalls that they

went by bus that had made up in Amite, came through Greensburg

and on until there was a bus load going to Camp Beauregard near

Alexandria, La.  Sy Lawson and a Davis from near Greensburg left

with him but he was separated from them at Beauregard.  He was

there for 2 weeks.  He was sent to Camp Roberts, California for

basic training which included infantry training.  While marching

one day, he stepped into a gopher hole and suffered a hernia.  For

some "quirky Army foul-up" he did not have surgery to correct it

so as a result did not go overseas.

     The next assignment was at Camp Persidio, San Francisco, CA

where TJ worked in the local Army Post Office.  He was then sent

to Oakland where he worked in the APO Post Office.  He was later

assigned to 1078 Engineer Dredge Crew and they were charged with

dredging ship channels.  They were scheduled to go to Guam for

duty but were dredging one foggy night and were broadsided by

another ship.  Their vessel had to be taken into dry dock for

repairs.  At this time, TJ was assigned as an MP in Persidio.

They escorted prisoners to various places.  He recalls escorting

prisoners to the Federal Prison in Missulo, Montana and that one

was scheduled for execution for rape and murder.  These men were

Army guys who had gone bad.  TJ remarked about the beauty of the

area through which they traveled by train.  The state of Oregon,

Idaho, Washington and Montana were really beautiful seen from a

train.

     TJ said he saw Billy Travis on Market Street in San Francis-

co and later also saw Gaylon Allen there.

     His discharge indicates he was awarded the ATO Medal; Good

Conduct Medal and World War II Victory Medal.

     Receiving his discharge at Camp Shelby, Mississippi on

May 31, 1946, he returned home, met and married Miss Carmelita

Barrios, March 18, 1950.

     Using his GI Bill, TJ attended Trade School in Kentwood

where he learned carpentry.  After moving to the New Zion

Community, he commuted to Baton Rouge to work.  TJ was licensed

as a Minister of the Gospel in a Southern Baptist Church in 1957,

May 1.  He and Carmelita are faithful members of New Zion

Baptist Church.  They have three children, twelve grandchildren

and two great grandchildren.  Retired, they live in a secluded

area where they garden and enjoy visits from their children and

grandchildren.

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