Paul F. Braim

Paul Francis Braim

Commanding Officer 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

4th Infantry Division

January - March 3, 1967

Paul F. Braim was born in Pennsylvania on May 31, 1926.

Braim enlisted in the Army on April 24, 1944. He served in the continental United States during
World War Two.

(On January 29, 1946, as a member of the Regular Army he re-enlisted with the rank of Sergeant at
Fort Knox, Kentucky. At the time of his re-enlistment his civilian occupation was listed as Tinsmiths,
coppersmiths, and sheet metal workers. He had completed one year of college and was single with
no dependents.)

In 1949 Braim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shepherd State College.

On May 8, 1950 Braim was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army Reserve.
He was promoted to the temporary rank of Captain (AUS) on September 1, 1951.

On July 16, 1953 he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Regular Army with date of rank back to
July 21, 1950. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in the Regular Army on July 21, 1953.

(Braim first appears in the Army Registers in 1954. When listed that year he is already credited with
having earned the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal.)

(He served in Korea with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, where he was
wounded in the leg. He was awarded the Silver Star in Headquarters, 24th Infantry Division
General Orders No. 291 dated 1951.)

In 1956 Braim graduated from the Infantry School Officers Advanced Course. That same year
he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Delaware.

On July 21, 1957 Braim was promoted to the permanent rank of Captain in the Regular Army.
On June 17, 1958 he was promoted to the temporary rank of Major (AUS).

In 1960 Braim graduated from the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College.

On February 4, 1963 he was promoted to the temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel (AUS).
On July 21, 1964 he was promoted to the permanent rank of Major in the Regular Army.

Braim was promoted to the temporary rank of Colonel (AUS) on April 24, 1968.

(He served several tours in Vietnam. In one tour he was an advisor to the 23rd Vietnamese Infantry Division.)

LTC Paul F. Braim assumed command of 1/22 Infantry from LTC Len "Rawhide" Morley sometime
in January 1967. Braim commanded the Battalion until he was accidentally shot on March 3, 1967.
In his book What Now, Lieutenant? Bob Babcock describes the event:

A call came in from the fire base that "Regular 6" had been shot. That is the battalion commander who took over
from "Rawhide". He came in on a chopper and now has been evacuated to 18th Surg. The doctor says he is in bad shape
but will survive. It seems he was in his tent and a guy in Headquarters Company was cleaning his rifle, it went off,
and hit the colonel in the back. ... The bullet that hit the colonel went through him and hit Major Williams,
the battalion executive officer, in the leg. His wound is not serious at all, in fact he did not even say he had been hit
until the excitement about the colonel had died down. The bullet is still in his leg so he had to be sent back to 18th Surg
to have it taken out. ¹

On August 25, 2001, Dr. Paul Braim, a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army and professor emeritus
of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, died at his home in Pennsylvania. He is survived by his sister,
Ann Austin of Winter Springs, Florida; his brother, Joseph Braim of Abington, Pennsylvania; two nieces and two nephews.
He will be interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, September 25, 2001 at 9 a.m.

Born May 31, 1926, Paul F. Braim volunteered for service in the U.S. Army at the age of 17, serving as an infantryman
in Germany. In the Korean War he was an infantry company commander. His four combat tours as Colonel
in Vietnam included service as commander of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division and a senior adviser
to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. He was commander of the U.S. Support Command for Southeast Asia
from 1974 to 1975.

He retired in 1977 after serving as chief of the training division of the United States Readiness Command.

Among his many decorations are three Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, three Legions of Merit,
and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He began teaching during his military career.

He was associate professor in military art at the U.S. Military Academy from 1970 - 1983, and lecturer and panelist
at the U.S. Army War College from 1970 - 1991. In 1983 he was awarded a Ph.D. in American history
by the University of Delaware. In 1987 he joined the social sciences faculty at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University,
where he founded programs based on a global perspective. His disciplined scholarship and exemplary service
were recognized when he was awarded professor emeritus status upon his retirement in 1999. He was a founder,
faculty member and trustee of American Military University.

He is author of ''The Test of Battle,'' the annually published ''Global Assesment'' and co-author of
''Military Heritage of America.'' ''The Will to Win,'' a biography of James A. Van Fleet, is now in its second printing.
At the time of his death, he was writing a novel set during the war in Vietman. Dr. Braim witnessed a number
of the decisive events of the 20th century. He was a combatant in the Battle of the Bulge; he was among
the ''Magnificent Bastards'' who survived the march from Chosin; he was present at the fall of Saigon.
When he was commander of the 1st Division in Vietnam, his military adversaries referred to him as ''The Tiger.''

Tireless in action, he enjoyed attacking the difficult. Firm in his convictions, he was also attentive
to the positions of others. Generous in all senses, he was unafraid to apologize and quick to forgive.
He delighted in stories and told them well. Above all, he was a leader; in his presence, everyone grew braver.
Memorial contributions may be made to US Soldiers' and Airmens' Home, Attn: The Residents' Fund,
3700 N. Capitol St., NW, Washington, DC 20317.

The above is from the

Arlington National Cemetery Website

Note: There are a number of inaccuracies in the above article. For instance, Braim did not participate
in the Battle of the Bulge, and did not command the 1st Division in Vietnam.

Paul F. Braim wedding photo 1957

Paul F. Braim is buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Section 66 Grave 6422

Grave marker for Paul F. Braim

Photo from the Arlington National Cemetery website

¹ What Now, Lieutenant? by Robert O. Babcock, Deeds Publishing Company,
Marietta, Georgia 2008

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