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BROUGHTON L. HAND


[courtesy of Tommy Dunman]

Grave marker for Broughton "Brody:" L. Hand in Anahuac Cemetery, Anahuac (Chambers county), Texas.

Brody enlisted in the Army at Houston, TX on 12 October 1942.

Pfc Hand reported to duty with Company C, 508th PIR at Camp Blanding at 0008 hrs, 25 October.

By March 1943, Brody had been promoted to Pfc.

Although Pfc hand was reported captured on D-Day, 6 June 1944, his personal account makes it more likely that it was not until June 10th.  He  remained in captivity for 10 months until liberated from Stalag 13B. [article from The Amarillo, Globe-Times, Amarillo, TX, 24 May 1945, Thu, Page 4]

His military decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze service Arrowhead device awarded for participation in the Normandy assault and the French Legion of Honor medal which was presented to him in February 2013 by Frédéric Bontems, the consul general of France.

Broughton Lynn Hand, 97, lifelong resident of Anahuac, Texas, passed away on Friday, October 27, 2017 in Kingwood, Texas.
   He was born on April 8, 1920 in Trinity, Texas, to the late Rev. Lawson and Beulah Rayner Hand.
   When Brodie was four years old, his family relocated to the Anahuac area. He graduated from Anahuac High School in 1939. Brodie was an active athlete in high school and even received a basketball scholarship. He attended East Texas Baptist College at Marshall before enlisting in the military, where he proudly served his country in the United States Army during WWII. Brodie jumped into Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was a POW, and received numerous medals of honor including the Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor Award.
   Brodie was a member of the American Legion Post 104, the Golden Triangle EX-POWs, the VFW Post in Baytown, the Disabled American Veterans, and First Baptist Church of Anahuac.
   Brodie worked as a salesman for Macobar Drilling Products, a salesman for Trinity Valley Lumberyard, and as Supervisor of Drainage for the Trinity Bay Conservation District for more than 25 years before his retirement. He also worked as the Chambers County Veteran’s Service Officer for 13 years and served on the Governor’s Veterans Land Board and the Governor’s Prisoner of War Advisory Committee.
   Brodie had several hobbies, some of which included hunting, fishing, and traveling in his motor home. But what he enjoyed most was drinking coffee with the boys each morning at the drugstore. Afterwards he would often go to the Wellness Center in Anahuac to work jigsaw puzzles and exercise.
   Brodie will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Brodie was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife of 66 years Mary Lillian Ledet Hand; his brothers William G. Hand and Carroll Hand; and his sister Beth Stevens. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his daughters Phoebe Fergerson and husband Eddie of Monroe City, Texas and Myra Norman of Anahuac; his son Lynn Hand and wife Ann of New Braunfels, Texas; his grandchildren Laurie Lawrence and husband Larry, Mary Beth Richey and husband Wesley, Kimberly Poe and husband Sam, Crystal Norman and fiancé Ryan, T.J. Hand and wife Daysi, Susie Copeland and husband Bryan and Sarah Lain and husband Jacob; his 11 great-grandchildren and 3 great great-grandchildren; his brothers Lawson Hand, Jr. and Frank Hand; and a host of other loving relatives and friends.
   Honoring the family by serving as pallbearers will be Sam Poe, Cody Netterville, Wesley Richey, Larry Lawrence, Jacob Lain and T.J. Hand.

[courtesy of Sterling Funeral Home - Anahuac, TX]