Johnny, as he was known to friends and family, was not quite 22 years
old in April of 2003 when he lost his life in the War with Iraq. A young man from the small town of Troy, Alabama, Johnny
had lost his way in life as a teen but had finally found his place as a soldier in the United States Army. He was
a proud soldier and was excited to be serving his country like his father had a little over a decade earlier.
Ed and Bonnie Brown were very proud of their son. They were also
very worried when he told them he would be going to war. Their fears became a reality when they were told their son
had died in an accidental grenade explosion.
My husband, son, and I, along with Paulette (Tommy's widow) had the pleasure
of meeting Ed and Bonnie Brown early last fall. They are truly some of the best people anyone could ever hope to meet.
We spent a day visiting and exchanging stories about Tommy and Johnny. One thing was apparent at the end of the day...
the two boys were very, very much alike. It is somewhat of a wonder that this unexpected tragedy brought two families from
across the state lines closer. Our hearts and prayers are always with the Brown family as they continue to deal with
their loss.
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| Photo of a Proud Soldier. |
John had made friends with one of the reporters that
had been embedded with the 101st Airborne Division and the reporter would let him use his satillite phone and laptop
for calling and sending emails home. The reporter had taken this shot of John holding his machine gun to send home to his
father, Ed Brown, who is a Gulf War vet. It is a common practice for soldiers to give a name to their weapons
and John had named his machine gun "Sarah". John was very proud to be serving his country and following in his father's
footsteps.
PFC Brown entered the Army National Guard on November 9, 1998. He
attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and then Advanced Individual Training at the US Army Training Center,
Fort Gordon, Ga. from February to September 1999. PFC Brown was trained
in military occupational specialty 31U --Signal Support Systems Specialist. He entered active duty on October 8, 2002 in Montgomery,
Ala. and was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky. on November 1, 2002. He was promoted to the rank of Private First
Class (PFC) on January 1, 2003. On March 4, 2003 PFC Brown deployed with his unit to Kuwait in preparation
for support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
PFC Brown was assigned as a Signal
Support Systems Specialist and driver with Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 44th Air Defense Artillery, 101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault).
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