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At 19
SSgt. Ed Briere, 19, at Camp Atterbury, Ind.,  prior to shipping out to Germany for WWII. Courtesy photo

At Home
Ed Briere 67 years later in his home displays his Army medals and cherishes the love of his granddaughter Lauren, his primary caregiver. Courtesy photos.


Ed Briere:
A humble
American
hero
By Ron P. Coderre
Tom Brokaw in one of his five bestsellers coined the term, The Greatest Generation, in reference to the men and women who survived the Depression, made lasting sacrifices in WWII and came home and with little support and fanfare built the world we enjoy today.  Putnam was home to many of those individuals, some who are still around but whose numbers are dwindling rapidly.
The recent celebration of Memorial Day brings to mind the loyalty and patriotism displayed by Americans during a time when the country was emerging economically and holding tight militarily, as in Europe and the Pacific dictators were systematically marching through and annexing everything that stood in their way.  In America young men were being drafted and being sent off to war in an effort to preserve our freedom.
Working 12 hours a day, delivering fuel oil for four hours in the morning after putting in eight hours on third shift was a piece of cake for Ed Briere compared to what he endure during his three years in the U.S. Army.
Ed Briere of Putnam, who on Nov. 18 will turn 90, was one of the thousands of young men who responded to the draft and began training and marching in Army khakis in 1943.  He was one of three Briere brothers (Omer served in the Army in Japan and Billy was killed in action in Korea)  who would see action, two in WWII and one in the Korean conflict.  Drafted on March 16, 1943, at age 19 he reported to the induction center at Fort Devens, in Ayer, Mass., prior to being sent for basic training to Fort Jackson, S.C.  Following training maneuvers on infantry tactics in Tennessee he was shipped to Camp Atterbury, Ind.
“We registered and reported for the draft because we saw it as our duty.  The way we looked at it, we were drafted to defend the United States,” said Briere very humbly.
Following training at Camp Atterbury, Briere was granted a furlough before eventually receiving orders that would send him to the front lines in Germany.  Fortunately during his visit home to Putnam he was married to his “first and only girlfriend” Irene Robitaille, who would become Mrs. Edward Briere for 68 years.
Leaving his wife of a few days behind he went back to Camp Atterbury, where he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant as a member of the 106th Infantry Division, Company C, 422nd Infantry Regiment.  The unit then shipped out by troop ship from New York.  After six days on the Atlantic they landed at LeHavre, France and made their way to Germany.
On December 16, 1943 SSgt. Ed Briere, a squad leader with 12 men under his command, was on an enemy reconnaissance mission as the 106th was moving into position to join another division.  It was at that time while his squad was at an outpost that they were surrounded by German SS troops and taken as prisoners of war.
“I told my men to stick together and to do everything they were asked to do or the Germans will put a bayonet through you,” said Briere.
As prisoners they were force walked for miles every day until reaching a prisoner of war camp.  On the forced marches Briere often helped his troops who were lagging behind because as he describes it, “the Germans killed the men who fell out of line and couldn’t continue to march.”  At the camp they were stripped of their rings, watches and other valuables.  
The conditions at the camp were very Spartan.  The men slept on boards without mattresses, layered three high bunk bed style.  The sanitary conditions were poor, as was the food, which primarily consisted of potatoes and water.  Dysentery and other diseases were prevalent in the camp.
“While as prisoners I did everything I could to survive and help my men survive.  I had a fellow prisoner, who was so overcome with dysentery, die in my arms as I attempted to comfort him,” stated Briere somberly as though the incident was still fresh in his mind.
As Allied troops neared the POW camp, the prisoners were force marched to other areas by their Nazi captors.  Finally on May 25, 1944, following almost six months of incarceration, SSgt. Briere and his fellow prisoners were freed by Allied troops who stormed the camp.  Ed Briere who had arrived on the front lines at a healthy 168 pounds was taken out of camp on a stretcher, weakened and unable to walk, weighing a meager 93 pounds.
“I’ve forgotten some of the details of those days but I remember that when our troops approached, the Germans scattered and ran scared.  Very weakened, I was taken out on a stretcher to a plane that airlifted me to an American hospital in Germany,” said Briere about his release from captivity.
Eventually, after six months at the American hospital, he was transported by LST to Fort Devens Medical Center where coincidentally he had started his ill fated journey in 1943.  On Feb. 15, 1946, Briere was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army.
Returning to Putnam, there were no parades or welcoming parties hailing his return to civilian life.  No counselors available to help him through his experience.  Much the same as most men returning from war, the routine was simply to find a job and return to work.  In an unassuming fashion, Briere spent 32 years working third shift as a shipping clerk at Danco in Putnam until his retirement in 1983 and delivering oil four hours a day for his cousin’s Briere Coal and Oil Company.
A devout Roman Catholic, he and his late wife, along with their four children, Marie, Edward, Jr., Jane and William also found solace in their belief in God.  Briere served daily Mass at St. Mary Church for 22 years, sang in the church choir and was the jack of all trades as the parish handyman.
In recent years as he ages and gets around only with the assistance of his granddaughter, Lauren, Briere’s been honored more than at the time when he was discharged 67 years ago.  He’s been recognized by the State of Connecticut, American Legion Post #13, the Connecticut Veteran’s Administration and the community of Putnam.  However, like most people of his generation he doesn’t feel like he’s done anything special in life.  He was only answering the call of his country.
“Personally life has had more meaning for me after what I experienced in the Army many years ago.  I enjoy my family and friends and cherish every day.” he concludes.