[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 188 (Thursday, November 16, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1585-E1586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE AND MILITARY SERVICE OF BROUGHTON HAND

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BRIAN BABIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 16, 2017

  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of World War 
II veteran Broughton ``Brodie'' Hand who passed away on October 27, 
2017 at 97 years of age.
  Brodie was born in 1920 to Baptist minister, Rev. and Mrs. L. J. 
Hand. Brodie, the middle son out of 5 boys and 1 girl, came to Anahuac, 
TX in 1924. He attended Anahuac High School where he was voted Best All 
Around his senior year in 1939. After graduation, Brodie enrolled in 
Marshall College which is now East Texas Baptist University. When World 
War II began, Brodie felt the call to serve his country and left 
college to enlist in the United States Army on October 15, 1942. He 
volunteered for the paratroopers and went to jump training at Ft. 
Blanding, FL. After jump school he was assigned to the 508th Regiment 
of the 82nd Airborne Division with C Company. He was shipped to 
Belfast, Ireland for more training and then to Nottingham, England 
where they were stationed at the foot of Nottingham Castle. Since the 
company was short on demolition sergeants, Brodie was trained for the 
job before he was shipped to France. On the night of June 5, 1944, 
Broughton Hand prepared to go to war.
  The mission given to the 82nd Airborne when they landed in France was 
to seal off

[[Page E1586]]

the bridges on the Douve and Merderet Rivers. Problems started early 
when the planes ran into a fog bank that nearly made them run into each 
other. After veering from their planned flight pattern to avoid 
collision, the 82nd Airborne had to jump in an area far from the one 
they had prepared for. Brodie jumped from about 600 feet up and as soon 
as his chute opened he was landing in the tops of the trees. He managed 
to cut his chute loose and met up with other men in his company headed 
northeast. They came across Douve River where they attempted to blow 
the bridge, but could not due to increased German activity in the area. 
Brodie and his men were able to take three German's as prisoners, which 
would prove to save their lives. On June 9th, Brodie and his squad went 
back to blow the bridge, but instead ran into a German tank on the way. 
After running out of ammunition, Brodie's Lieutenant got one of their 
German prisoners to call out ``we surrender'' in German. Brodie spent 
the next 11 months as a Prisoner of War. He worked, as a POW, cleaning 
up bombed cities and working in coal mines. He was finally able to send 
a pre-typed postcard to his parents informing them that he was a POW 
over 70 days after his capture. On April 22, 1945, Brodie was at a 
hospital in Nuremberg, Germany recovering from a leg injury when 
General Patton's troops swept through the area returning him to 
American hands. Broughton returned to Anahuac, after the end of the 
war, and married Lillian, his wife of 66 years. Together they had three 
children, Phoebe, Myra and Lynn. Throughout his life, he worked as a 
salesman for different companies. Brodie upheld his civic duty proudly 
and stayed active in his community and church until his death last 
month. He was past Commander of the Texas Golden Triangle Chapter of 
EX-POWs, past Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, a member of 
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a member of the order of the Purple 
Heart, and past Commander of the Freeman Spath Post 104 of the American 
Legion with continuous membership of over 70 years. He served on the 
Governor's Prisoner of War Advisory Committee, and was the Chambers 
County Veterans Service Officer for 13 years.
  Broughton Hand lived a full honorable life devoted to his family, 
country and God. It is a privilege to have been able to represent such 
a person in my District. I want to extend my thanks to him and his 
family for their selfless service and will keep them in my prayers.

                          ____________________