WEBVTT

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(light piano music)

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(swelling orchestral music)

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- General Brandtner served 33 years in the Marine Corp,

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he entered service on an NROTC scholarship

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from the University of Minnesota.

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When he joined the Marine Corp

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he became an infantry officer,

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and served 33 years,

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commanded every at every level he could.

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^As a company commander in Vietnam

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^he was twice awarded the navy cross.

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^One of only two marines

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^to do that in the entire Vietnam War.

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Well what happened here today was we sent

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General Brandtner off with a, by his request,

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a latin requiem mass at the St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral

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in Reno, Nevada.

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Following that ceremony we motorcaded out here

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with help of law enforcement to get here

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and then we did a four general officer ceremony.

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And then Major General O'Donohue,

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the current commanding general 1st Marine Division,

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was the general officer representing

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the commandant here for the ceremony

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on behalf of General Miller.

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(soldiers chanting)

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He was an eagle scout and an explorer scout

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growing up in Minnesota.

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And as you might expect, a varsity football player,

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a varsity varsity wrestler at the division one level.

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Just a lion of a man.

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(trumpet playing)

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Both navy cross citations happen

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within eight days of each other

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and involved things like picking up grenades

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and throwing them back at the enemy

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and repelling human wave assaults from NVA.

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So he uh, it was just part of who he was.

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He was wounded in action,

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received a purple heart for that.

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Was wounded multiple times and refused purple hearts,

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for fear of being evacuated,

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they don't make 'em like that anymore.

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(light piano)

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I would just say, "Thanks for doing your duty marine."

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(emotional music)