Virgil O. Bramblett

VIRGIL O. BRAMBLETT Virgil O. 'Irish' Bramblett, 99, of Rocheport, MO, passed away on July 26, 2025, in Rocheport. He was born in New London, MO, on February 7, 1926, to Howard and Cora Bramblett. He attended New London High School and married Marie Ilene 'Re-Re' Hoover on November 17, 1946.They celebrated nearly 74 years of marriage until her passing in 2020. Irish was a veteran of World War II, he enlisted in the United States Navy on January 10, 1944. He trained at the Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) in Illinois before being transferred to Shoemaker, CA, to prepare to leave for war. He sailed to the Aleutian Islands on the Admiral Robert E. Coontz ship, named after an Admiral who was from Hannibal, MO, with 6,000 other men. Out of this large group of men, Irish was the only name called to be assigned to the YMS323, a small wooden Yard Mine Sweeper boat. He worked his way up from Seaman 1stClass to the rank of Ship's Cook. Irish was on the only wooden Yard Mine Sweeper boat that survived, as the other six boats sank (four were blown up by mines and two sank from typhoons).His boat, the YMS323, was hit by a mine and started to sink. A large Dry Dock ship arrived in time to pull the entire YMS323 out of the water and save the 24-man crew. Mr. Bramblett toured Hiroshima just two weeks after the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. While anchored in Tokyo Bay, close to the USS Missouri ship, he watched General Douglas MacArthur accept the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, through binoculars from his ship. Irish served as a Reserve Officer for another year after WWII was over and was honorably discharged on May 24, 1946, under President Harry S. Truman. Irish was a wonderful man full of character with a great sense of humor. He tirelessly wanted to do whatever was needed for his family. He loved woodworking, tinkering in the barn, building anything, playing on his tractors, camping, and living in the country. He is survived by his three children, Virgil 'Dutch' (and Brenda) Bramblett Jr. of New Franklin, Cora 'Lynn' (and Steve) Townley of Rocheport, and Steven 'Jay' (and Zim) Bramblett of Rocheport. Irish had seven grandchildren: Todd Bramblett, Chad Bramblett, Will Rapp, Nathan Townley, Kyle Townley, Tabitha Bramblett, and Elijah Bramblett, as well as five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. His wife, Marie, and siblings Bub, Jim, Pete, Betty, Neat, Danny, Snook, Donny, and Susie preceded him in death. Visitation was held at 12:00 p.m. on August 4, 2025, with services starting at 1 p.m. at the William Wood Funeral Home in Boonville, MO. Graveside interment, with military honors, immediately followed at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in New Franklin, MO.