BLUEFIELD —
Bluefield’s Riley-Vest Post No. 9 of the American Legion recently received an American flag that flew on a combat medical mission in Afghanistan on Dec. 31, 2011.
The flag was presented to the post by Lt. Col. Katherine A. Bruch, during her assumption of command ceremony on June 22, as she became commander of the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga. Bruch had received the flag when she was stationed at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan with the 44th MED Brigade of the 82nd Airborne.
“She had been deployed in Afghanistan for a year,” Robert A. “Bob” Bruch, her father said. “She returned to the U.S. in February or March and was stationed at Fort Bragg until she received her new assignment at Fort Gordon. She’s done quite well in her career.”
Lt. Col. Bruch graduated from Bluefield High School, earned a bachelor of science degree at Concord University in 1990 and decided to enter the military to serve as a combat medic. She advanced steadily through the ranks and was deployed to several combat locations including Bosnie-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. She continued her education in the military and earned a masters degree in human resources management from Tarleton State University.
She has received several awards and decorations through her military career including a Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and many more. Her father and mother, Bob and Mary Bruch, traveled to Georgia for the incoming troop commander ceremony. Bob Bruch entered the U.S. Army in 1946, and joined the U.S. Navy reserves after he was mustered out of the Army. He served 33 years in the Navy Reserves. Mary Bruch taught special education at Wade School for 28 and one-half years.
Bluefield’s Riley-Vest Post No. 9 has always had a deep-seated meaning for the Bruch family. “I knew both of the boys whose names are part of the post,” Bob Bruch said. “Steve Riley was the drum major of the Bluefield Drum & Bugle Corps,” he said. “He grew up on Stowers Street off of Jefferson. I think he graduated in 1943 with Melvin Grubb. He was killed in action in the breakout at St. Lo in 1944.
“Harry Vest was my Boy Scout Troop leader in Troop 28, before he entered the service in 1942. His dad was active in the Legion too,” Bruch said. “He was killed in action on Feb. 12, 1944. He received the Silver Star for gallantry.” Bruch said that Vest encouraged him to become an Eagle Scout, which he did, and to serve in the military.
Melvin Grubb worked to create a presentation frame so the flag could be displayed in the Legion Post home on the second floor of the Herb Sims Youth Center on Stadium Drive in Bluefield.
“Many of our members are older, and we installed a lift chair to make it easier to attend meetings and activities,” Grubb said. “We are also trying to encourage men and women who served on the Global War on Terror to consider joining the Legion. We all think that Lt. Col. Bruch’s flag presentation may help us connect with some of those veterans.”
— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com
Local News
Related Photos
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Robert A. ‘Bob’ Bruch, left, presents a flag that flew in Afghanistan to Alvin Ascue, commander of Riley-Vest Post No. 9 of the American Legion. Bruch’s daughter, Lt. Col. Katherine A. Bruch, dedicated the flag to the Bluefield Legion Post. Photo by Mel Grubb
Discussion
July 16, 2012
American flag flown in Afghanistan dedicated to Riley-Vest Post No. 9
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