The name is Robert Evan Brown Jr., also known as “Bobbie”. Brown was born in Georgia and enlisted in the US Army at the age of 15 in 1922.
When WW2 broke out, Brown (then a 1SG), saw action in North Africa with the 2nd Armored Div., where he was given a battle commission. In 1944, Brown led his platoon from C.Co. 1st Inf.Div on Omaha Beach during the Normandy landings and fought all across France, (later assuming command of the company when his commander was killed). On October 8, 1944. His company had orders to attack Hill 239 (Germany), also known as Crucifix Hill. The hill was heavily fortified with 43 pillboxes and bunkers. Brown was tasked with destroying 7 of them. They commenced the attack and only made it 150 yards before being pinned down by heavy fire. Brown crawled up to the first two bunkers and took them out with satchel charges. When Brown ran down the hill to get more explosives, his sergeant told him, “There’s bullet holes in your canteen.” He had been hit in the hip and was bleeding profusely. Obviously, the wounds didn’t stop him, so he crawled back up and went towards the most fortified bunker (manned by 45 Germans, 6 ft. concrete walls and a rotating 88 cannon). Once on the bunker, Brown saw a German entering a steel door in the side. Brown was an ex-boxer, so he knocked him out with one swing, through him inside, threw 2 satchel charges, and ran; destroying the bunker. Brown personally led his men on a path of destruction through the rest of their assignments, and after an hour of hard fighting, Crucifix Hill was reduced to smoking rubble.
For his actions, Captain Brown was awarded the Medal of Honor. After serving 30 years, a Medal of Honor, 2 Silver Stars, 1 Bronze Star and 1 Purple Heart, Brown retired in 1952.
Brown had troubles adjusting to civilian life. Unable to find a good civilian job, he became a janitor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Haunted by unhappy memories of combat and in constant pain from war-related injuries, he committed suicide on Nov 12. 1971. He's buried in Arlington Cemetery in section 46, site 1021-17. #hero #stayzero #ww2 #wardog #patriot