Braswell named veteran of the month

Choctaw Nation’s Veteran of the Month is Thomas Jerry Braswell.

Braswell was born October 20, 1933, in McAlester, Oklahoma. He attended elementary school in Alderson and high school in McAlester, graduating with the class of 1952.

He then attended Eastern Oklahoma A&M, which later became Eastern Oklahoma College and graduated with a bachelor of science. While there, Braswell was a member of the Air Force ROTC. He also attended East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.

In the winter of 1955, Braswell was drafted into the United States Navy and underwent basic training in San Diego, California. He served on the U.S.S. Estes and El Dorado. While serving in the Navy, he earned the rank of Yeoman 3rd Class. He was honorably discharged from the Navy and returned to Oklahoma.

Braswell continued in the workforce at Rockwell International until he returned to the service in 1973 after receiving orders to the Army reserve center in McAlester. After serving 20 years, he retired with the rank of Sergeant 1st Class. While serving in the Army, Sgt. Braswell worked as an administrative supply technician at the Army Reserve Center, then was promoted to unit administrator. He retired October 1, 1994. He also worked part-time for Brumley Funeral Home.

He married Shirley Mae Cloud on June 17, 1962, in Quinton, Oklahoma. They have one son, Ryan Thomas, and a daughter-in-law, Christina, and are the grandparents of grandsons Layne Thomas and Connor Braswell.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma holds our Veterans in the highest esteem and appreciates their sacrifices and contributions to preserve our freedoms and the way of life we hold dear.