Harold Keary Brasell
| NAME: Harold Keary Brasell | NICKNAME: — | SERVICE NUMBER: 412 87 92 | |||||
| HOME OF RECORD: Portales, NM | NEXT OF KIN: Wife, Mrs. Edna Rosella Brasell | ||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH: 3/1/1922 | SERVICE DATES: 10/20/1942 – 12/3/1945 | DATE OF DEATH: 5/31/2003 | |||||
| CAMPAIGN | UNIT | MOS | RATE | RESULT | |||
| Iwo Jima | HQ/1/24 | Corpsman | PhM2c | WIA | |||
| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS: Bronze Star, Purple Heart | LAST KNOWN RANK: Pharmacist’s Mate, Second Class | ||||||
Harold Brasell was born in 1922 in Fort Sumner, New Mexico; his father, Dr. Hugh Brasell, was the town’s physician and surgeon. Harold was more interested in music than medicine; although he attained the rank of Eagle Scout by the time of his graduation from Portales High School in 1940, he spent most of his first year at Eastern New Mexico State College performing with the school’s orchestra, band, Glee Club, and a capella choirs.
Brasell left college to join the Navy on October, 1942. He selected medical training, and was instructed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California – even becoming an instructor himself by early 1944, carrying the rating of Pharmacist’s Mate, 2nd Class. He was assigned to the field in the fall of 1944, and joined the First Battalion, 24th Marines at Camp Maui.
Brasell served in the battle of Iwo Jima as one of the corpsmen for Headquarters Company. He was wounded in action on 8 March 1945, and was quickly evacuated aboard the USS Samaritan. After three days at sea, Brasell was deposited at Navy Hospital #926 on Guam, where he received further treatment. He ended up back on Hawaii, on limited service with the Casual Battalion, Transient Center. Brasell finished out the war on Hawaii, and was discharged on December 3, 1945. He received the Bronze Star for his actions on Iwo Jima, as well as the Purple Heart for his wounds.
After the war, Harold returned to his studies. He graduated from Eastern New Mexico College in Portales, and went on to earn his doctorate in psychology. Over the course of his career, he taught at universities in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, and became renowned for his work in the field of special education, earning a Presidential Commendation for his pioneering teaching techniques.
Doctor Brasell died in 2003, and is buried in Portales Cemetery.
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This is my uncle harold I know very little about him but I loved this article to show how much he did in the war and after. I think it’s great to have this published, thank you. His dad, Dr. Hugh Brasell, was my grandfather. I am named after him. I am a “girl” but my name is Hugh!
June Wilcox
Glad you enjoyed it, June! I’m hoping to find a photo of Harold in his Navy uniform one of these days – if I ever do, I will let you know.
Thank you for your response. I I visited often in Portalis to visit my grandfather and his family. My mother grew up in Portales. Her name was Madine Wilcox. She graduated from Portales high and went on to get a masters degree in two subject, move to Albuquerque and married my father, and they lived in El Paso for most of their lives. I knew very little about Harold and his family because it was very difficult to talk to my mother about anything that had to do with her family. I was really impressed that he was so big in World War II. I knew nothing about that. I did try to call him when I first moved to to Roswell, but he couldn’t hear so it was really hard to talk to him. We went to visit him one time when he was living up in Ruidoso for his health I guess after the war, it was very interesting to read about him doing so much work in education because that’s what I did all my life.
, By the way my given is “Hugh Ellen” I never went by that name because it’s a boys name!. my grandfather delivered me and he was sure I was going to be a boy so he named me Hugh. Thank you for writing back to me. I appreciate it.