By Heidi Litchfield
Morris Daily Herald
DIAMOND, Ill. — Charles Brown signed up to serve his country at age 17, in 1960 when he was a senior at Coal City High School.
The son of a World War I Army veteran, Brown knew the Army wasn’t where he wanted to go, and because 70 percent of graduating seniors at the time were being drafted, he drove to Rockdale to meet with a Navy Reserve recruiter and signed on the dotted line.
“Within a couple of weeks of going active duty in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis started and I was sent on a ship to Cuba,” Brown said. “I was on a ship that fueled other ships while out at sea.”
It was three decades later that Brown learned he had earned a medal for his time in Cuba.
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is an award of the U.S. military, which was created in 1961 by executive order of President John Kennedy, according to the National Archives. The medal is awarded for participation in “any military campaign of the United States for which no other service medal is authorized.”
The first campaign of the AFEM was the Cuban Missile Crisis and the award was issued for military service between October 1962 and June 1963.
His role in the Cuban Missile Crisis is what led Brown to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he now serves as commander at the St. Juvin Post 1336 VFW in Coal City.
Brown’s wife, Kathy Brown, nominated Charles for the 2016 Congressional Veteran Commendation in the 16th District of Illinois, doing so based on not only his service to his country, but also his service to his community.
On June 22 in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, recognized Brown and seven other veterans from the district.
“The eight veterans receiving this commendation have served this country honorably and fought for the freedoms we hold dearly. These veterans answered their country’s call during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and they served with honor and distinction,” Kinzinger said.
“As a fellow war veteran, I thank them for their patriotism and sacrifices on behalf of our nation. After these veterans served their country, they came home to serve their communities. They are civic leaders, active citizens, and many continue to serve their military brothers and sisters through veteran service organizations. Although their mission has changed since returning to civilian life, their leadership and tenacity have not.”
Brown said that he learned a lot about leadership and working as a team while he was in the Navy Reserve, and he brought that knowledge back to the Coal City area with him, where he has lived ever since.
He was released from active duty in 1964, and released from the reserve in 1966.
He sold appliances and tires at Western Tire before going to work for Illinois Bell, which he retired from in 1992.
Brown also served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician for 20 years in Coal City, where he was the first certified lineman in the agency.
Kinzinger recognized Brown’s accomplishments as a first responder as well as his time in service when he presented him with the commendation.
“Charles Brown served in the Navy with honor and distinction, and when he came home, he continued to serve with the Coal City Emergency Squad,” Kinzinger stated in an email. “His leadership and courage broke the mold as he became the first EMT-A and state certified fire fighter in Coal City. Proud to have a man like Charles in our community.”
Copyright 2016 the Morris Daily Herald (Morris, Ill.)