While in the service, Our Most Excellent Companion served in many areas and attended several military schools: Medical Corpsman; Medical Supply; Air Transportation; Guided Missile School, (where he served as Senior Enlisted Instructor for 2 years); Atomic Warhead School; Ordinance Demolition School, and the 7th Army N.C.O. Academy. He spent 14 years in the Medical Corps, from Corpsman to Medical Supply sergeant, 10 years in a Corporal Missile as Instructor and Platoon Sgt. He served in the South Pacific, New Guinea, Philippines, and Japan from 1944-1946, Alaska 1947, Korea 1952-53, Germany 1957-59, 1962-63, and Vietnam 1965-66. He is a Life Member of the Retired Enlisted Association and a member of the A.A.R.P.
His Masonic history began August 12, 1948 when he was initiated an Entered Apprentice, on Oct. 7, 1948, he was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft, and on Nov. 4, 1948, he was raised to the degree of Master Mason in Union Lodge No. 7 Junction City, Kansas. He transferred his membership to Laclede Lodge No. 83, Lebanon in October of 1967, and became Master of that Lodge in 1972. He is now a dual member with Conway Lodge No. 528, Conway, Mo. During the past 27 years he has conferred all three degrees, has given the lectures and charges in all three degrees. He holds Gold Proficiency Cards in Sub. 1 and 3 (the opening and closing of a chapter), and can give all the lectures in the chapter degrees. He has worked in all the positions in the Shrine Cast except those of Prologue and Inspired Charge. He is well versed in the Council and Commandery and has been the presiding officer of those three bodies. He has also served as District Deputy Grand Master from 1980-1984, and as District Deputy Grand Lecturer from 1989-1991, for the Grand Lodge.
Companion Brenneman’s Masonic history includes: Past Master, Laclede
Lodge No. 83; Past High Priest, Lebanon Chapter No. 64; Past Illustrious
Master, Zabud Council No. 25; Past Commander, No. 33; Past Sovereign, St.
Christopher Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine; Past President and Secretary
of the 38th Masonic District Ritual Club; District Deputy Grand Lecturer
from 1987-1989 and 1996-1998; Secretary-Recorder, Lebanon York Rite Bodies;
He is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason in the Valley of Joplin; Abu Ben
Adhem Shrine, Member of Shrine Cast, Springfield, Missouri; Missouri Lodge
of Research, Allied Masonic Degrees; Ozark Council No. 240; House of Lord’s
LXXII; Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priest; Ali Ozark Grotto; Order of
the High Priest; Order of Silver Trowel; Past Commanders Association; Sword
of Bunker Hill, Order No. 109; Life Member, Grand Chapter and Grand Council;
Life Member of Lebanon Commandery No. 33; Grand Representative for Grand
Chapter at Alberta, Canada;Grand Representative for Grand Council at Maryland;
Past Regional Grand Commander, Region 7, 1993-1995.
