Individual Details

HERSCHEL FLOYD "PETE" BRILES was born the eighth of nine children on Saturday; February 2, 1914 in Colfax; Jasper County, Iowa. His parents: William Henry and Ida Ellen (Gouty) Briles, both passed away during his youth and he lived with his siste r and brother-in-law on a farm at age sixteen. On his 27th birthday, he enlisted in the army at Fort Des Moines. In 1983 he moved to Mitchellville; Polk County, Iowa after living in Ankeny; Polk County, Iowa and Colfax, Iowa. He was a retired farm er and co-owner of Colfax Livestock Sales Co. An Army veteran, he was a member of Colfax American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Hersche l Floyd "Pete" Briles, age 80, who during World War II won the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for heroism, passed away of a heart ailment on Sunday; July 17, 1994 at his home in Mitchellville, Iowa. Those left to mourn his passing are : His wife: Wilma. Three sons: James of Ankeny, Iowa. Jerry of Prairie City, Iowa and Randy of Omaha; Douglas County, Nebraska. A sister: Dot Polodna of Prairie du Chien; Crawford County, Wisconsin and seven grand-children. Friends may call in th e afternoon at the funeral home, where the family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday; July 19, 1994. Interment will be at the Waveland Cemetery in Prairie City; Jasper County, Iowa.Funeral services for Herschel F."Pete" Briles, 80 of Mitchellville, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, at the Mitchellville United Methodist Church. The Reverend Ted Hatte n, pastor of the church, will conduct services. Burial will be in Waveland Cemetery in Prairie City. Friends may call today at Walters-Coburn Funeral Home in at Colfax and visitation with the family will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the fun eral home. Memorials to Hospice of Central Iowa with the Mitchellville United Methodist Church, will be accepted. Survivors are his wife, Wilma; three sons and daughters-in-law, James H. And Judy of Johnston, Jerry and Sharon of Prairie City, an d Randy D. and Polly of Omaha, Neb.; seven grandchildren; and a sister, Dot Polodna of Prairie du Chien, Wis. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Tom, Art and George, four sisters, Blanche Peterson, Lulu Lutz, Glant Schlosse r and Grace Beals. Mr. Briles, a resident of Mitchellville for the past 11 years and former longtime resident of Colfax, was a farmer and at one time co-owner of the Colfax Livestock Sales Company. He was a member of the Colfax American Legion , the disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The son of William Henry and Ida Gouty Briles, he was born February 7, 1914 at Colfax. He was marrie d to Wilma Felder January 27, 1946, at Prairie City. Mr. Briles, received his Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman August 23, 1945. Mr. Briles, who participated in seven actions in the European Theater, landed in Normandy on D-Day. He rec eived the nation's highest military honor for pulling an American soldiers from a flaming tank destroyer one afternoon and the following day captured 55 enemy soldiers near Scherpensel, Germany, in November, 1944. Mr. Briles also was awarded th e Bronze Star and Purple Heart.Newton (IA) Daily News, July 1994.

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Birth	7 Feb 1914	Colfax, Jasper County, Iowa
Marriage	27 Jan 1946	Prairie City, Jasper Co., IA - Wilma Telfer
Death	17 Jul 1994	Mitchellville, Polk Co., IOWA
Burial		Waveland Cemetery, Prairie City, Jasper Co., IOWA

Spouse	Wilma Telfer (1920 - 2015)
Child	James Herschel Briles (1947 - )
Child	Jerry D Briles (1948 - )
Child	Randy D Briles (1950 - )

Father	William Henry Briles (1876 - 1946)
Mother	Ida Ellen Gouty (1876 - 1930)
Sibling	Thomas Briles (1899 - 1970)
Sibling	Blanche V Briles (1900 - 1978)
Sibling	Zella Glant Briles (1901 - 1993)
Sibling	Grace Briles (1904 - 1988)
Sibling	Lula M Briles (1907 - 1980)
Sibling	Dot E. Briles (1909 - 1999)
Sibling	Arthur Dale Briles (1911 - 1982)
Sibling	George Elias Briles (1916 - 1980)