1982-1986

Brigadier Gen. Denver Brackeen.... ·'I've had a lot of breaks in my c ~ By JOHN W. BRANNON

Decatur -- and soon wore the uniform of a wartime soldier. "Our unit was federalized because of the Korean conflict," Brackeen said, "and I with others went on active duty January 16, 1951." He said, however, that he did not go overseas. In 1953 he returned to ECJC where he was Junior College All-American Basket– ball player, and graduated. He enrolled at Ole Miss on a basketball scholarship, where he also earned All-American honors, along with a Bachelors degree in Physical Education and a Master's degree in Education. About that time he married Charlotte Wells of Union. (Their two sons, Morgan and Charlie, now live in Eupora and Union.) "I was a basketball player and spent part of a year with the New York Knickerbockers," Brackeen said, "but I came back home and got a job as coach at ECJC in 1956." Brackeen coached seven years, then was promoted to Dean of Students, a position he held 21 years. During that time he also served as Dean of Instruction, Director of Admissions, and Student Counselor. His parallel careers were both growing, he said. "In 1956 I was commissioned in the Guard as a Lieutenant,'' Brackeen said, "and spent nine years as a Battery (Com– pany) Commander.'' During the next 19 years he served as commander of a Bat– tery, a Battalion, and a Brigade in the Na– tional Guard. Brackeen's total years service in the National Guard and active Army total 31; in the education system of Mississippi, 30. What changes has he seen in those 30 years in the National Guard? "I think the Guard's mission has com– pletely changed,'' Brackeen said. "When I enlisted, its mission was to supplement the active components in case of a con– flict. Now the mission is to support the active components from the time of the first battle." The Guard's mission is important and can be accomplished, he said, and the responsibility rests with the commanders. "We can do it," he said, "and we have top quality Guardsmen- now who ·are dedicated and loyal~

Bracke cess of oE will cont said the at 100 Guard hi in being federal Would son join "Defo for a per affiliatio Guard p Plus the1 certainly in it. Yo Private a it to the 1 a lot of

about to undergo a big change in the cur– ricula in high school and college preparatory work . In the next few years we'll see a major change in that." Other changes he said occurred were emphasis on Academic Achieveme~t Tests, and athletics, "but always the mam thing in education is educating the students." "I am proud of the Guard,'' Brackeen said. "I've been on the active duty bases such as Fort Sill and Fort Hood. I've observed other states' Guard units in training, and it naturally made me evaluate our own. I'm proud of our troops. We have good strength and dedicated Guardsmen. We get good sup– port, too, from industries and employers. The majority of them are understandable about the .job conflicts Guardsmen experience."

It ' s a giant step from Private to Brigadier General in the Mississippi ~a.­ tional Guard. And it's also another giant accomplishment to climb from studenno Dean of Students at a Mississippi Junior College. . For Charlie D. Brackeen, 53, of Umon, who is both soldier and educator, the trek required about 30 years. Brackeen was recently appointed Assis– tant Adjutant General of Mississippi, and assumed office July 9, 1984. He was ap– pointed by Major General Nat G. Troutt, the state Adjutant General, and approv– ed by Gov. Bill Allain. Brackeen held the post on a part-time basis prior to his full– time appointment. ''My primary responsibility is t~ repr~­ sent the Adjutant General m his absence " Brackeen said, "and I also have resi>onsibility for training, recruiting and retention, among other assigned duties." Brackeen said he plans to com-

Gen. Charlie 0. Brackeen mute to Jackson daily, and that the job entails traveling a lot, attending "con– ferences and meetings . .. He resigned his job as Dean of Students ~at East Central Junior College, Decatur, July 6, 1984, to accept the Assistant AG post. · Brackeen said his ties to ECJC reach back to 1949 when he enrolled there after graduating from Hickory High School, Hickory, Mississippi, where he was born. At the same time, he enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard unit at

. Captain Denver Brackeen and First Sgt. Jefi in the pre-Vietnam era US Army fatigue maneuvers at Camp Shelby, Miss. during t