Melvin R. Eisenbraun, 95, Sturgis, SD passed away Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center.  Graveside services and inurnment will be at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis at a future date, along with a celebration of life for family and friends.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Disabled American Veterans organization (dav.org).

Melvin R. (Mel) Eisenbraun was born in Creighton, S.D. on 17 January 1929, the son of Alexander and Hertha (Kapfenstein) Eisenbraun.  He lived on a farm near Creighton until 1935 when his father passed away.  After his father's death, the family moved many times because of hardships created in part by the Great Depression.  Mel attended elementary schools in Wall, Rural Norris and Norris, and high school in Kadoka.

Mel enlisted in the Regular Army in October 1946 and served in the occupation of Japan and Germany.  He served 3 ½ years in Alaska (before statehood) with the Yukon Command in Fairbanks, and returned to Fort Lewis, Washington.  He served as an advisor to Army Reserve Units in Montana for 4 years and worked with units in Bozeman, Livingston and Big Timber. Mel served a short tour in Korea and when he returned to the United States, he served as Enlisted Advisor to South Dakota Army National Guard units in Rapid City for 3 years.

Mel went to Vietnam in 1966 and served as Sergeant Major of Can Tho Forward Support Group in the Mekong Delta.  After his tour in Vietnam, Mel was assigned to the United States Armed Forces examining and entrance station in Omaha, Nebraska.  He served as the First Sergeant of that unit until his retirement from the Army on 1 August 1969, at the permanent grade of Master Sergeant with more than 20 years of active duty.

In 1970, the family moved to Rapid City where Mel was employed by the South Dakota Civil Service as manager of an offset printing facility at Camp Rapid in direct support of the South Dakota Army National Guard.  He retired from this career with 20 years of service in 1991, at which time he moved to Sturgis.

In 1956, Mel married Thelma (Riggins) Apland and to this union his son, Troy was born.  He married Adeline Mueller in 1967.  Adeline passed away in 2009.

Mel is survived by his son Troy, wife Beth and granddaughter Riley, stepson Allen Mueller, plus many nieces, nephews and step grandchildren, and his sole remaining sibling, his sister, Alvina (Eisenbraun) Parkinson.

In addition to his parents, his wife, Adeline, Mel was preceded in death by his 6 brothers: Lester Kapfenstein and Marvin, Art, Hugo, Bob and Mike Eisenbraun, and one stepdaughter, Judie (Mueller) Reed.