| Graduation Year | Class of 1966 |
| Date of Passing | Apr 30, 1968 |
| About | Pfc Larry Franklin Brashears April 30, 1968 FREDERICK NEWS-POST July 13, 1967 LARRY F. BRASHEARS TAKING MARINE BASIC Marine Pvt. Larry F. Brashears, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin F. Brashears of Walkersville, is going through recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. His first stop when he arrived here was the Depot's receiving barricks where all new recruits are processed. Here he received his first issue of Marine uniforms, the equipment he will use in training, and his first military haircut. After being placed in a training platoon with other new recruits, he left the receiving barracks and began formal Marine training under the close guidance of his Drill Instructors, or D.I.'s. Until her graduates, eight weeks after he entered "boot camp", these seasoned non-commissioned Marines will guide and supervise his progress in physical conditioning and development, rifle marksmanship, and other skills which be must master to be a Marine. FREDERICK NEWS-POST August 9, 1967 LARRY F. BRASHEARS COMPLETES BASIC Pvt. Larry F. Brashears, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin F. Brashears, Walkersville, recently graduated from eight weeks of recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. He will undergo about three weeks of individual combat training and then, after leave at home, will report to his first Marine assignment. The intensified Marine recruit training emphasizes rigid physical conditioning and survival techniques, both at sea and ashore, to develop self-confidence and endurance. Marksmanship with the M-14 rifle and 45-calibre pistol are equally stressed, and close order drill instills the traditions of Marine Corps teamwork. A through study of basic military subjects; hygiene; first aid and sanitation; and the customs, courtesies, history and mission of the Marine Corps, serve to polish the new Marine's recruit education and prepare him to join Marine combat forces. FREDERICK NEWS-POST May 10, 1968 LARRY BRASHEARS KILLED IN VIETNAM A Frederick County, MD, serviceman has been listed as killed in action in the Vietnam War. The Pentagon identified him as Marine Corps Pfc. Larry F. Brashears, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Brashears of Walkersville. FREDERICK NEWS-POST May 12, 1968 MARINE KILLED IN VIETNAM A 19-year old Walkersville youth was killed on the last day of April while serving with the Marine Corps in South Vietnam. Larry F. Brashear, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin F. Brashears was killed April 30 serving as a mortar specialist in the Kuang Tri province, the northern most province in the country. A Marine Corps spokesman, said Brashears, a graduate of Walkersville High School, was killed by fragmentation from hostile mortar shelling. Pfc. Brashears enlisted in the Marine Corps last May 25 and completed his basic training at Parris Island, S.C. He left for Vietnam in November after serving at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and Camp Pendleton, Calif. Besides his parents, the Marine leaves a sister, Linda Brashears, and a brother, Elmer L. Brashears. Funeral arrangements will be announced. Info from thewall-usa.com PFC - E2 - Marine Corps - Regular Age: 19 Race: Caucasian Sex: Male Date of Birth Sep 20, 1948 From: Walkersville, MD Religion: Protestant Marital Status: Single Length of service 0 years His tour began on Nov 16, 1967 Casualty was on Apr 30, 1968 In Quang Tri, South Vietnam Hostile, Ground Casualty Artillery, Rocket, or Mortar Body was recovered Panel 53E - Line 10 H & S Company,3rd Battalion,9th Marine Regiment,3rd Marine Division. Survived by his parents,Alvin F & Roselee M Brashears of Route #1,Walkersville,MD. If Jim Puhl could have had things his way, he’d have spent Friday lounging around the dinner table with his best friend, Larry. They’d have talked about grandkids, he guessed, or maybe the weather. They’d have laughed over Cokes. Instead, Puhl spent the day marking the 53rd anniversary of his friend’s death. At just 19, Pfc. Larry Brashears was killed in action in the Quang Tri province of central Vietnam. On Friday, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Mount Pleasant Ruritan Club unveiled a sign dedicating the Israel Creek bridge on Md. 26 to Brashears. “I’m so happy that we did this,” said Puhl, also a private first class, who served with Brashears. He traveled from Michigan for the dedication. “But in my heart, I wish we didn’t have to.” Brashears grew up on a farm in Walkersville, graduating from Walkersville High School in 1966. Shortly after, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He made it overseas in November 1967, arriving just a day after Puhl and quickly earning a reputation around camp for his dry sense of humor and infectious smile. He was killed on April 30, 1968. His family still doesn’t know exactly how. The sun shone brightly as Brashears’ surviving family and close friends huddled against a gusty wind Friday morning on the side of Md. 26. They held hands and linked arms as state workers removed the heavy black sheet that had been covering the sign for the past four weeks. They clapped as the covering came down, posed for pictures and took a minute to reflect. As they started back to their cars, Puhl stayed behind. He bowed his head and stood quietly in front of the sign, his hands clasped behind his back. “We talked about coming home,” he said later. “We never really talked about dying.” Lisa Shriver, a volunteer with Mount Pleasant’s Ruritan Club, spent about 18 months coordinating the bridge dedication. She worked with MDOT and Brashears’ family to determine the location and the exact language on the sign, she said. It was important to Brashears’ sister, Lynda Slifer, that the marker would inform travelers exactly where and when her brother was killed. He was proud of what he did, she said, and she hopes the sign will remind the community of his courage. “I think anyone that was raised in this area — Walkersville, Mount Pleasant — will remember his name,” she said. “And if they don’t, I want them to know what he sacrificed.” About 50 people gathered at the Ruritan hall Friday afternoon for a ceremony to honor Brashears. Fellow Marines were there, as were club volunteers and more than a dozen of Larry’s Walkersville classmates. Slifer and Larry’s brother, Elmer Lewis, said they were touched by the community’s presence. “I know mom and dad and Larry would be so proud,” Lewis said. “It’s quite an honor.” Puhl — who reconnected with Brashears’ siblings, nieces and nephews in 2018 on the 50th anniversary of his death — wiped away tears as he stood at the Ruritan Club podium in his uniform. He looked out at the scene before him: red and blue decorations, tables filled with food, folding chairs filled with people. He considers himself a part of the extended Brashears family now, he told the crowd. Larry was his brother. And he’s confident they’ll meet again. “I can’t wait ’til I get called up there,” he said, grinning widely and gesturing toward the heavens. “We’re gonna have a ball.” Follow Jillian Atelsek on Twitter: @jillian_atelsek |
