Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Idaho soldier defines valor
By Shannon Morgan
The Arbiter (Boise State U.)
07/11/2007

(U-WIRE) BOISE, Idaho — The battle-worn lines of Tom Titus' face tell the story of a man who has seen the back side of hell and lived to tell the tale. But it's not the jungles of Vietnam that torment him, it's the memory of the morning of Aug. 17, 2004, when two soldiers appeared at his door to inform him his son and hero, Brandon Titus, had been killed in Bahgdad, Iraq.

"It's like someone reached up through my throat and put a vice grip on my heart," Titus said. "I couldn't breathe ... I had to have the chaplain write it down for me because I couldn't believe what they were telling me."

To those who knew him, Brandon was more than a soldier who gave his life defending our freedom. Like the words to his favorite song by Lynard Skynard, Brandon was a "Simple Man."

He is remembered by those who knew him as a go-to guy. He tutored his friends to help them get through school. He graduated from Borah High school, where he played football and served as the sports editor for the newspaper. After he graduated he returned as a volunteer football coach before he left for the U.S. Army.

After his service in the military, Brandon planned to attend Boise State to get his degree so he could return to Borah as teacher and continue to coach football there.

Brandon was also a youth mentor at Teen Life at St. Mark's Church where he once gave an hour-long talk on how to treat a woman. The talk is frequently mentioned in the comments on the various memorial Websites about him.

"Some kids would look at him and be like 'Oh my God, are you sure he belongs in this group he looks like the son of Satan,' but after that, everyone realized he had his feet on the ground," Titus said.

Brandon was tattooed, had his ears gauged and had a passion for riding Harley Davidsons with his dad. According to people who knew him, he wasn't your average, everyday young man; he was an individual who cherished his ability to think outside the box.

Brandon's parents taught him to think for himself, to question authority and to value his heritage as an American.

His father is a decorated combat-wounded veteran who served two tours in Vietnam. The Titus family has been serving America for decades and has a long and distinguished military record, dating back to the Spanish American War. It was Brandon's admiration of his family's legacy, the events of 9/11 and his yearning to earn his freedom which propelled him into the military.

In a letter Brandon wrote to his family (which was read at his memorial service) he said, "I joined the military for two reasons. I decided that before I could take the freedoms and liberties this country has given me for granted, I needed to earn them. I also joined the army because this line of work is in my blood, going all the way back there has been many people from my family who have served this country. I learned a lot from my dad and I wanted to be just like him."

Friends of the Titus family agree, in many ways Brandon was like his father. He served his country. He stood for what he believed in. He had honor and integrity and held true to his identity. Even when the going got tough Brandon dug in and did what he felt he had to do to honor his family and his freedom.

He enlisted in the Army despite his resentment of the government. Growing up, Brandon helped his dad through health problems which came about as a result of surviving Vietnam.

Their experiences with Veterans Affairs left a lot to be desired from Brandon's perspective.

Titus, who knew his son better than anyone, said, "He was still ornery but that was my kid. He was well mannered, he was a good-looking young man, but he had conviction and he had to do what he had to do.

We used to talk about all-American boys back in the 50s and 60s. You don't really hear that anymore because everyone wants to be like this and that ... their role models. No one is an individual, but Brandon was an all-American boy."

Titus paused for a moment, as a look of pride and pain overcame his face. He battled on through his welling tears to finish his summation of son's life.

"He was the boy that a girl could take home to their parents. He was a young man who had a need and not knowing what his destiny was he would step up and do the right thing and it showed when he joined the military. He did what he felt was right — what he needed to do in his life.

And to me ... [America is] not mom and apple pie and waving the flag, that's my son ... he's an all-American boy."

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