Laurence Robert "Larry" Braasch

Laurence Robert “Larry” Braasch, a veteran of the Vietnam War and longtime resident of Hamilton, Mercer County, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his parents Louis and Grace Braasch and his son-in- law James V. Tobin. He is survived by his wife Cathy, his daughters Debra Hoy (Brian), Sherri (Paul) Diaz, Charlene Hurley (Danny) and son Laurence (Becky) Braasch, his twin brother Louis Braasch, sister in law Linda Braasch and sister Joan Louis, as well as eight grandchildren, Adam Hurley, Michael Cardarelli, Victoria Cardarelli, Hannah Diaz, Gracie Diaz, Jonathan Diaz, Lydia Braasch and Evan Braasch, three great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. His family has organized a memorial service to honor Larry's life and military service, which will be held at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery, 350 Province Line Road, Wrightstown, NJ 08562 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10:45 am.

Larry was born on January 28, 1947 to Louis Russell Braasch and Grace Elizabeth (Delaney) Braasch and attended Trenton Central High School before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964. His duty stations were Camp Lejeune, NC — 2nd ANGLICO, 3rd Marine Division and Vietnam — 3/12 Naval Gunfire Support. As a Corporal E-4, he saw action in Vietnam and was stationed along the DMZ and served as a forward observer for ANGLICO (Air, Naval Guns Liaison Company) which was a specialized unit within the Marine Infantry. He had many stories of his time in Vietnam which he shared with his fellow veterans and their group, the Vietnam Combat Veterans Coalition (VCVC), of which he was president for 20 years. Larry served in the U.S. Marine Corps from June, 1964 through June, 1967 and received an honorable discharge. His wartime service rendered him a Disabled Veteran. After returning home from the war he worked as a Lineman for Bell Telephone/Verizon for over 32 years before retiring in 2002.

The U.S. Marine Corps recognized Larry for his honorable service with numerous accolades that included the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic); Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon; Vietnam Service Medal (with two bronze stars); Marine Corp Marksman Rifle Badge; Insignias; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Republic of Vietnam MUC Gallantry Cross-Foreign; and the Republic of Vietnam MUC Civil Actions Medal. Larry didn't speak much about his time in the Marines, but he did proudly march in parades with other veterans and served as Commander of VFW Post 3525 in Hamilton, NJ from 1995-1996.

Larry helped the VCVC with fundraising efforts for food for homeless veterans. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans United when they built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Mercer County Park. He donated his father’s POW Medal from WWII which was placed in the POW icon at the memorial in Mercer County Park. 

A few of Larry’s pastime hobbies included hunting (as a member of Fin Fur Feather Hunting Club) and fishing. He most recently became an avid golfer playing with the guys from the VCVC Group at Ft. Dix almost every Tuesday. He also enjoyed Saturday morning breakfast with the “guys”. He loved spending the winter months with his wife Cathy at their home in North Fort Myers, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to VCVC (the Vietnam Combat Veterans Coalition) and mail to P.O. Box 3290, Hamilton, NJ 08619