A salute to my father Edward Brown on this Veterans Day.  Like many WWII Veterans, he never made a fuss about his military service either before the war on a Destroyers at Pearl Harbor or during the war in Brazil where he was on the crew of a PBY (submarine hunter).  He used to joke that he “learned to sail” during the war.  In fact, he was part of the effort to keep Brazil from German occupation and to get planes across the Atlantic to Europe (Brazil to Africa and then North to Europe being the shortest route).

He instilled a sense of patriotism and service in his children and whenever I look at this picture, I am moved. His name is inscribed behind the inspection plate on one of the eagles and when i am down there, I always think of him. He didn’t live to see the Memorial erected but he was an avid fan of construction and would have loved to watch the Memorial being put together.  He was generous, adventuresome and never saw a situation that he didn’t make better.