Specialist Bradley David Rappuhn was born on April 24, 1986, in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Grand Ledge and Potterville. Brad, known to many as “B-rad,” was a simple kid and a happy soul who loved to be outside. He could be found playing disc golf, riding his BMX bike, skateboarding, fishing, playing paintball or cruising on his motorcycle, usually with his laid-back black Lab, Bill, nearby. He also enjoyed bowling, video games and playing his drum set, and he went to rock concerts with his Aunt Theresa.
After graduating from Grand Ledge High School, Brad enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 2009. He completed One Station Unit Training as an infantryman and the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, then volunteered for the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program. After graduating in August 2009, he was assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, as an anti-armor specialist.
Brad deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 on his first combat tour. He had already been wounded that spring in a Memorial Day attack and still carried shrapnel from it, yet his mother said he remained easygoing. His tour was extended 45 days beyond its planned end in late July. On August 8, 2010, during a combat operation in Kandahar Province, his unit was struck by an improvised explosive device. Unit medics treated him immediately and he was evacuated to the nearest treatment facility, where he died of his wounds. A fellow Ranger was also killed. Brad was 24.
Colonel Michael Kurilla, commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment, said Brad had been fighting in one of the most heavily defended areas of Afghanistan and had helped destroy a complex bunker system armed with heavy machine guns and mortars. He called Brad a hero. Brad was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart. He also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with combat star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
His family remembers a young man whose calm demeanor and positive attitude drew people to him in any circumstance. Brad was a natural at many things and determined to be the best at whatever he attempted. His smile could brighten a room, and his sense of humor kept everyone laughing. “If he were here right now, he’d be telling me to suck it up,” his mother said after his death. To those who loved him he was smart, creative and, most importantly, a good human being who will forever be their hero.
He is survived by his father, Cary Rappuhn, of Potterville; his mother, Roxanne Rappuhn; and his brother, Brent Rappuhn, both of Grand Ledge.
Bradley fought in one of the most heavily defended enemy positions in Kandahar, helping destroy a complex bunker system to protect his Ranger brothers.
75th Ranger Regiment Commander
Sources
- Military Times Honor the Fallen: Army Spc. Bradley D. Rappuhn
- Rangers Remembered: SPC Bradley Rappuhn
- Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Army Rangers killed after IED explosion
- MLive: Blast kills Lansing-area soldier in Afghanistan (via MVF Drive excerpt)
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: 2024 stage bio, matchbook and honoree website bio sheet
