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Joseph K. Bratton

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United States Army general
Joseph K. Bratton
BornApril 4, 1926
St. Paul, Minnesota
DiedJune 2, 2007(2007-06-02) (aged 81)
McLean, Virginia
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1948–1984
Rank Lieutenant General
CommandsChief of Engineers
Battles / warsWorld War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star (2)

Lieutenant General Joseph K. Bratton (April 4, 1926 – June 2, 2007) was an American Army officer and nuclear engineer.

Biography

Bratton was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He graduated third in the class of 1948 at the United States Military Academy and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He served with an engineer battalion in Austria from 1949 to 1952 and with the divisional 13th Engineer Combat Battalion in Korea in 1953 and 1954, both before and after the armistice there. Likewise, he later commanded the 24th Engineer Battalion, 4th Armored Division, in Germany (1964–65) and the 159th Engineer Group in Vietnam (1969–70). Bratton also held numerous staff assignments. He was a military assistant to Secretary of the Army Stanley Resor from 1967 to 1969 and secretary to the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1970 to 1972. Having received a master's degree in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1959, Bratton served as Chief of Nuclear Activities, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE), from 1972 to 1975 and Director of Military Applications at the U.S. Department of Energy from 1975 to 1979. Note - the U.S. Department of Energy was called the "United States Energy Research and Development Administration" at this time, not the current name of Department of Energy (DOE). His last assignments before becoming Chief of Engineers in October 1980 were as Division Engineer of the Corps' South Atlantic Division (1979–80) and then briefly as Deputy Chief of Engineers.

Bratton died on June 2, 2007, of an aneurysm, at the age of 81 in Virginia. His wife had preceded him in death in 2006. He, alongside his wife, are interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Awards and decorations

His military awards included;

Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze star Bronze starBronze star Bronze starBronze starBronze starBronze star
1st row Defense Distinguished Service Medal
2nd row Army Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit w/ 2 bronze OLCs Bronze Star w/ OLC Joint Service Commendation Medal
3rd row Army Commendation Medal w/ three OLCs Army Achievement Medal World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal
4th row National Defense Service Medal w/ service star Korea Service Medal w/ two service stars Vietnam Service Medal w/ four service stars Army Service Ribbon
5th row Army Overseas Service Ribbon Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st class) United Nations Korea Medal Vietnam Campaign Medal

References

  1. Washington Post obituary

This article contains public domain text from "Lieutenant General Joseph K. Bratton". Portraits and Profiles of Chief Engineers. Archived from the original on June 19, 2005. Retrieved August 20, 2005.

Military offices
Preceded byJohn W. Morris Chief of Engineers
1980–1984 		Succeeded byElvin R. Heiberg III
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