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Carol L. Bringham |
From Carol, wife of 55 years
Bill and I met and married in
We returned to the states and after a couple trips cross country, ended up at
As you may gather, planes, trains and automobiles (even a ship) played a large part in our lives. We traveled east to west and west to east across the states often enough to learn every landmark on the way. I guess a
And last, but certainly not least, our last child Jim was born while in
Along the way, we added two daughter-in-laws, Erin and Elizabeth and a son-in-law, Dale Henson. We have five grandchildren, Nicole, Danielle, Grace and Gianna Bringham, and Christopher Henson.
Bill had a long and full life and we all have good memories to hold on to. Now he has taken his final journey and is in his eternal resting place, standing tall and watching over all of us. We will miss him.
Bill Bringham Jr. |
DAD-A SURVIVOR
<Dad died
This is a celebration.
The celebration of the life of a great man-WILLIAM NEALE BRINGHAM, SR.
I read a poem he wrote out from one he had seen and the point of it was that death was the achievement of his ultimate goal when it happened. He would regret leaving us and the earthly life he enjoyed tremendously but it gave him the opportunity finally to be with the Lord, his God. In essence, paraphrasing, it said “Behold, I am finally here in your presence and for this I am immensely grateful”.
My Father is a SURVIVOR.
As a young pre-teen boy he was an extremely skinny, sickly kid for a period of time, so ill that he missed much school in that period.
He survived that period and was always enamored with being in the military, much probably attributable to the service of his father wounded in World War I as a captain and
Dad did not inherit his Dad’s love for and prowess in sports but did his love of the military life. He was in ROTC in high school and was a Colonel at that time. He wanted to go to
Instead he was drafted for WWII, went through training and was deployed to the
WWII ended before Dad saw combat and he later re-enlisted, went to
That skinny kid eventually became a 6’2”, 200 lb commander on the cold frontier of
He was not an avid athlete as his father, but enjoyed tennis, horseback riding and golf. In
So; he survived WWII.
He survived the Korean War. As a Lieutenant and platoon leader he was wounded by gunshot from a sniper while on a hill leading his platoon. Fortunately it was a flesh wound in his upper leg. I remember seeing the scar although it was confusing because he also had a unique birth mark in the same area.
He told me it was a “million dollar wound” because it gave him the opportunity to get out of combat in
He was mashed (flown) out of Korea to Japan to a hospital there and was later chosen to be a member of General Douglas MacArthur’s honor guard of which there were only a chosen few who were required to have an excellent military record, be in excellent physical shape and be of a certain minimum height.
When in
He survived the Viet-Nam war while serving as one of the first
He survived Viet-Nam again in 1971 by retiring and not being sent there again as he was ordered to do. He retired for two reasons: The Army wanted to send him back without promoting him for his long, excellent service; and he did not want to spend another entire year without his family.
Actually, I was drafted into the Army in 1972 and had actually completed induction procedures. I was against the war at that point and my Father as big a man he was, a career military officer went with me to file as a conscienscious objector. The war ended and so did the draft so I was spared.
He survived being a veteran after the Viet-Nam war when the civilian community did not respect their service let alone welcome them and made it difficult for them to find employment in the civilian economy.
Dad worked for a lot of companies to support his family but transition was difficult from military life to civilian life after twenty-six years in the military.
He worked for the Employment Development Department, Federal Express, Motel 6, GNC Health Foods, managed a condominium complex and worked for his friend Jim Williams at his high end women’s clothing store in
Finally, he survived the deterioration of his body to the very end. After falling and breaking his leg he did not walk much again and needed the use of a wheel chair.
He continued to fight increasing ailments but still continued to support his family and make new friends. He loved going to lunch with them; always had an appetite although I believe he enjoyed the social aspect as much as the food. He would even make friends with the young waiters and waitresses most of whom were going to college in addition to working at the restaurants.
After all, he was an infantry soldier for twenty-six years! He was not in excellent shape for sport but for his country.
How strong would your legs be or what shape would you be in if you had marched and led soldiers marching in formation that long?
I will tell you. His father did it. He did it. And at the end of their lives they are in a wheel chair. This not to denigrate from them or you but a symbol of how much they gave.
I would not trade the life he provided for any other. I got to live in eight states in
I was enabled to experience the
I experienced
For all these experiences and him and my Mom and family I am grateful and celebrate his life and death.
Rick Bringham |
Eulogy - William N. Bringham's Memorial Service
Thank you for everyone's attendance, family and friends. I like to acknowledge my Mom's four brothers and sisters, my cousin Mac, and old friends Jim Williams and Bill Bernie many of who made it over great distances and with some difficulty. Others like my Uncle John, Dad's brother, could not travel and be here but send their condolences and regrets. Some old friends, like Dan Andes and Bill Steele, have recently pre-deceased Dad.
Dad was one of four brothers, Bob, Bill, John and Pete. Granddad Bringham was from
Dad wanted to go to
He joined the U.S. Army where he served for over 25 years. He reached the rank of Lt. Col. Becoming Col. Bringham and joining his father, his brother Bob and his brother John who were all Col. Bringham.
He was a veteran of three wars, WWII,
He met and married my Mom while serving in the Army in
Dad was a family man with four children, Bill, Rick, Peggy and Jim and he was married for 55 years to my mother Carol. He was a great example to me of the importance of the marriage covenant, enjoying the good times and weathering the storms but staying the course.
He always provided us a good home and everything that we needed growing up. I know we weren't rich but I felt rich growing up because I had everything a boy could want.
We had a wonderful life as Army brats, living around the
My brothers and I loved to play sports, baseball, football, basketball and any other kind of ball. Dad supported us in our multitudes of games through the years. But Dad didn't much personally care for sports except for two things; playing golf and watching USC football.
One of my fondest memories was of Dad, brother Bill, brother Jim, brother-in-law Dale and I playing golf together at El Toro Marine Base golf course. None of us was very good, but we were competitive and it was a great was to spend a day together.
And then there was USC football. Dad went to USC and I went to USC following in his footsteps. We went to many games at the LA Coliseum (and once the Rose Bowl) together (in his more mobile days) and later watched the games together or rejoiced or commiserated on the outcome over the phone. In the last few years while I was on the East Coast he would tape and send the games to me. One of the last things I remember doing with him was watching a game together.
Dad was orderly, always scheduling things. He loved his family and was infamous for wanting to know precise details of where we were going and when, even after we were grown and perhaps living thousands of miles away. What flight number? What is the name of the hotel? What is the phone number?
I remember Dad always telling me how proud he was of my accomplishments and of my family.
Dad loved politics and world new. He would watch all the newscasts at
Religion was always important to him as he attended the Episcopal Church most of his life. But he valued the pageantry more than the purpose; the pipe organs, the choir, the robes and the candles. But we know through recent conversations he had with Pastor Rich Anderson and others that he knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and that because of that he knew he would be in heaven hen he died. And for that we rejoice!
Dad had a debilitating muscle disease but he was a fighter. It weakened his arms and his legs, it put him in a wheel chair and it caused him great difficulty in swallowing. But he kept on fighting. He fell and broke a leg, he fell and broke his neck, he fell and broke both legs, and he had a pulmonary embolism. But each time he came back fighting. He fought his last fight with "Amazing Grace" being sung to him as he slipped away for the last time. But we are thankful that he now has a new body, unbroken, without pain, in heaven.
For my Dad I'd like to read the following scripture verses:
Psalm 103:13-19
As a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
For he knows how we are formed.
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
He flourishes like a flower of the field;
The wind blows over it and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
The LORD's love is with those who fear him,
And his righteousness with their children's children-
With those who keep his covenant
And remember to obey his precepts,
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
And his kingdom rules over all.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,
We have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven,
Not built by human hands.
Peggy Henson |
MEMORIES OF DAD from Peggy:
I remember:
I was talking to my son, Christopher about his grandpa and how he had served in the army and even got a “purple heart”. He got a very perplexed look on his face until I showed him the medal and explained the significance. He thought I meant his real heart was purple. Chris knew his Grandpa well and enjoyed some ice cream with him the last time he visited him. He will miss him a lot.