Mr. Clarence Braden

His Story: Clarence Robert Braden (Bobby) was born in Detroit, Michigan on February 19, 1942. He was the son of Olive May Dean (McCaughan) and Clarence Robert Braden Sr. (Three). He was the second of seven children. On December 8, 2018, at the age of 76, Bobby passed away peacefully at the John D. Dingell Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. Earlier that week, he gave out much love, lots of hugs and kisses and said his farewells to his many family members and friends. Sergeant First Class Braden served two tours in Vietnam where he distinguished himself as a hero, patriot and warrior. By direction of the President of the United States, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. In addition to many other Service Medals, he received a second Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart. Bobby attended Custer Elementary, down the street from his home on Linwood, Post Junior High School and graduated from George Washington Trade High School, where he studied automobile mechanics. He grew up in a west side Detroit neighborhood where their grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins lived within short blocks of each other, known as the Pilgrim Village neighborhood. In the 1940s and 50s, Bobby and his brothers enjoyed experiences no longer available to young people in Detroit. With friends and cousins, the brothers roamed freely by foot and by bicycles from their home on Linwood to Belle Isle where they canoed, to Dearborn where they explored the Ford Rotunda, to the Northern YMCA where they learned to swim, to the Olympic size pool at Rouge Park where they jumped from the high platforms, and to Palmer Park where they skated and played ice hockey on the lagoons in the winter. After graduating from high school, Bobby joined the U.S. Army. He spent 14 years in the infantry and more that 9 years as a recruiter and career counselor, serving throughout the US, Germany, Korea and Vietnam. Bobby retired after almost 24 years of service but didn’t become idle. He later worked 26 years as manager, supervising inspectors and auditors, for the City of Detroit, Department of Human Services, Home Weatherization Department. Bobby also was an avid bowler who at one time bowled several days a week. While in the Army, he was a member of the 8th Finance Bowling League in Baumholder, Germany. He was a Founding member of The Rolling Twenty Bowling Club and participated in numerous tournaments, including ABC National Bowling Tournament in Reno NV, Toronto Open Bowling Tournament and Hoinke Tournaments in Cincinnati, OH. Bobby also coached CUZ (cousins) Family Baseball Team, a Women's Softball Team in Germany and a Men’s Softball Team for Millie’s Lounge in Detroit.

Mr. Clarence Braden

February 19, 1942 - December 8, 2018