Honoring Our Heroes

Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Brown: Age 61

Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) Samuel Brown served a total of 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) including eight years on Active Duty and 22 years in the Reserve. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was Storekeeper. He had skills in logistics, purchasing and contract management. He received the following medals, citations, awards and ribbons: Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal for search and rescue mission after Hurricane Katrina at New Orleans, LA, the U.S. Coast Guard Unit Commendation Medal for the fight against drug trafficking to the United States and two Good Conduct Medals.

PO2 Brown was born April 22, 1962 to his parents, Chester and Louella Brown, at Miami, FL, where he was reared and where he graduated from Miami Killian Senior High School in 1980. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard at the age of 19 in October 1981. He completed the eight week course of instruction in Enlisted Basic Training at the Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May, New Jersey. There PO2 Brown learned what he needed to succeed as a junior enlisted member. He learned everything from military justice to ethics and Coast Guard history. He completed hands-on training in a variety of topics, including firearms, seamanship, firefighting, damage control, and first aid.

His service in the U.S. Coast Guard included assignments on ships off the coast of Miami, FL, and South Carolina. He began serving on the USCG Dauntless, a medium endurance cutter. It had the reputation of being the premier among the nation's "drug busters", and it played a major role in search and rescue. After serving two years on the USCG Dauntless, PO2 Brown served at the small boat USCG Station Cortez at Sarasota, FL, for one year. Next, served at the USCG radio station at Miami, FL for one year. Then he served at the USCG Station at Boston, MA, for six months. This was followed by six months of service at the USCG Yard at Baltimore, MD, where ships were built, repaired and renovated. His final assignment on active duty was at the USCG 7th District Command at Miami, FL, from 1986-1990. He then served in the USCG Reserve with assignments in the Base Support Unit at Miami Beach, FL, and at the USCG Base at Mobile, AL, until he retired from all military service in January 2011. While serving in the Reserve, he received a B.S. Degree in Federal Contract Management from Summit University in 2000.

After military retirement, PO2 Brown worked as a Contract Specialist with the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs in its awarding of contracts for procurement of supplies first at the VA Hospital at Miami, FL, and then at the VA Hospitals at Montgomery and Tuskegee, AL, 31 years retiring from all employment in 2021. PO2 Brown and his wife, Tammy, have been married seven years. He has three children, two stepchildren and five grandchildren. He enjoys playing golf, fishing and bowling. He is a member of the Mercy Baptist Church, Central Montgomery Optimist Club and the American Legion. He serves as a mentor and instructor for youth coaching them in football, basketball and baseball at the YMCA. PO2 Brown's reflections on what serving in the US Coast Guard means to him are: "It definitely made me a better man, father and provider. It put me on a good path of service." He would like to be remembered as a good Christian man who loves God and his family, who did good for other people, who was a hard worker, provider, loving, trustworthy and who was a good person.