HERMAN LEE BROWN JR

Herman Lee Brown, was the 3rd of nine children, born on October 4, 1943. He was a graduate of A.E. Beach High School, class of 1962. He entered into the United States Army soon after graduation. He excelled as a soldier and was the recipient of the Silver Star, and the Distinguished Service Cross. He was a Sgt while in the military and continued his love of flying until his death. 

While serving as a member of a five-man Ranger Team operating in Quang Tri Province. During a rest break, 4 enemy soldiers were detected as they approached the team's perimeter. SP Brown detonated a claymore mine and killed all of them.

Other enemy troops placed intense small arms fire on the team from concealed positions. Brown discovered that the Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader were both critically wounded, he rushed through enemy fire across the perimeter and administered first aid to both wounded men.

Taking command, Brown called for an extraction helicopter. When he learned that rescue helicopters could not penetrate the dense jungle canopy, Brown exposed himself to enemy fire as he rushed about thirty meters to an open location where he felled several large trees to provide a landing zone for the rescue helicopters.

He returned to his team's position and making two trips, carried both wounded men to the extraction zone. As the rescue helicopter hovered about two meters above the ground in full view of the enemy and under intense fire, Brown lashed the critically wounded team leader to the helicopter's skids. In the same manner, the second wounded man was extracted.

On the helicopter's third trip, Brown provided cover fire while his two other comrades grasped the skids and were extracted. As  Brown was being extracted, an estimated 25 man enemy force swarmed their position.