Van Seymour Brokaw – Captain, United States Army

Van Seymour Brokaw
27 September 1887 – 29 August 1946

Van Seymour Brokaw became an engineer; served in World War One, in the 32nd Division of the 107th Engineers, and over seas, in Alsace; at Aise Marne, at Oise Aine and the Argonne, in France as a Master Sergeant, Sr. Grade.

After his discharge he was a civil engineer for the Transcontinental Railways.  He did on location construction work, maintenance operations, track elevations, terminal layouts, and rail yard facility surveys.  He also did concrete and steel bridges and highway construction along with general engineering.

He married, March 5, 1934, to Helen Imhoff, of Arlington Virginia, a daughter of Antone and Helen (Skirvan) Imhoff. They had no children.

Van Brokaw was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and was put in the Reserve Officers, defense unit, in 1941, in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

He was the Commanding Officer of the 108th Engineers of Chicago, Illinois; was a regular staff assistant of the division of engineers, of the Second Army Battalion Company Commander Air Corp Signals A.W., Air Base Group.

He was air Corp Base Training Commander at the 812th Engineers Battalion (A.V.H.) C.O. 904th Engineers of the Air Force Headquarters Company.  Having been loaned to the A.T.C, he took that outfit overseas, in the African Campaigns, in World War II.  His unit participated in the invasion of Italy, and the preparation for the French Invasion.

After the hostilities had ceased he was killed, in an aircraft accident, in the French Alps at Grenoble, on 29 Aug 1946.

Later his body was returned to the United States and was buried in Arlington Cemetery Virginia. Section 11 Grave Number 141.

During his life he had been an active member of the Chicago, “Red Arrow” club and helped to organize it.  He was also a 32nd Degree Mason and of the Scottish Rites, in Washington, D.C.

BROKAW, HELEN WID OF BROKAW, VAN S

• DATE OF BIRTH: 09/20/1897
• DATE OF DEATH: 09/11/1959
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/15/1959
• BURIED AT: SECTION 11  SITE 141 NH
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF VA BROKAW, CAPT CORPS OF ENGINEERS USA

BROKAW, VAN S

• Captain, United States Army
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: Unknown
• DATE OF BIRTH: 09/27/1887
• DATE OF DEATH: 08/29/1946
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 02/20/1947
  BURIED AT: SECTION 11  SITE 141

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard