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Arlester Brown

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The Reverend
Arlester Brown
Brown pictured during D-Day Anniversary Ceremony, 2024
Personal details
Born (1924-04-01) April 1, 1924 (age 100)
Homer, Louisiana, U.S.
Spouse(s)Ozeal Shyne Brown
(m. 2000; d. 2024)
Education
Occupation
  • Minister
  • school principal
  • quartermaster engineer
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1942–1945
RankPrivate
Battles/wars
Awards
College football career
Grambling State University Tigers
PositionRunning back
Class1949
MajorEducation
Career highlights and awards
  • 9–0 record (1942)
  • Grambling Legends Hall of Fame

Arlester Brown (born April 1, 1924) is an American minister, educator, and U.S. Army veteran who served in France during World War II. At the age of 100, he is one of the few remaining veterans of D-Day. He has been awarded the Legion of Honour and Knight of the French Order by the French government.

Early life

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Arlester Brown was born on April 1, 1924, in Homer, Louisiana and grew up for a period in Shreveport, Louisiana.[1] He attended high school in Grambling, Louisiana. His mother was a sharecropper and he spent much of his childhood being raised by his grandmother.[2]

Military service

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On July 6, 1942, Brown was drafted into the U.S. Army at age 18.[3] He attended basic training at Camp Ellis.[1]

During his military service, Brown held the rank of private and served as a Quartermaster engineer with the 599th Quartermaster Laundry Company. He was deployed in England, Belgium, Germany, and France, where he was stationed during D-Day.[3]

In January 1945, an unmanned V-1 flying bomb exploded near Brown and he was hit in the face by shrapnel.[3][4][2]

Brown was honorably discharged from military service on December 28, 1945, at Camp Shelby.[1]

Career

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College football

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After returning home from military service, Brown attended Grambling State University on the G.I. Bill where he played on the Grambling State Tigers. He was a running back on the infamous 1942 team which was "unbeaten, untied and unscored upon" during the entire season (Eddie Robinson’s second as head coach).[4][5][6]

Educator

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Brown received a bachelor's degree in teaching education in 1949.[3] He later earned a master's degree in education administration from Texas Southern University. Brown worked for many years in the educational system, including as a school principal in the Shreveport Public Schools. He retired from education in 1970.[7] While a principal in Shreveport, he founded the Shreveport Teachers Association Credit Union.[2]

Ministry

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After retiring from education, he attended Wesley Theological Seminary and Howard University School of Divinity, where he graduated with a master's of divinity degree and additional theological studies. Brown served as pastor of several United Methodist churches in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and was presiding elder for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, where he oversaw churches in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.[7][8][9] He has conducted mission trips in South Africa, Israel, and the Panama Canal Zone.[10] For several years, he was chaplain and instructor at the Oak Hill Youth Prison Center, and chaplain of the Capitol Hill Hospital.[7]

Brown was a volunteer for the 1995 White House Conference on Aging.[11] In 1999, Brown and his wife flew on Air Force One with President Bill Clinton for the Grambling State University commencement ceremony, of which Clinton was keynote speaker.[12]

Later life

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In 2022, Brown was one of 44 veterans who returned to Normandy on a program with the Best Defense Foundation.[5]

In 2024, Brown was a guest speaker at the 2024 American Veterans Center Conference in Washington, D.C.[13] He was also the guest of honor for the Grambling State's "Black and Gold" spring football game.[4]

On June 6, 2024, Brown was awarded the Legion of Honour by French President Emanuel Macron during an international ceremony at Omaha Beach marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.[14][15][16]

On February 24, 2025, French President Emanuel Macron met with Brown at the Embassy of France during his visit to Washington, D.C., and paid a public tribute to his service.[17]

Personal life

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Brown was married to Ozeal Shyne Brown, who passed away in 2018.[12] He currently resides in Washington, D.C.[7]

Brown is a member of the Mu Lambda chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[7]

Honors and awards

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Brown being awarded the Legion of Honour by President of France Emanuel Macron, June 6, 2024

Brown is a recipient of various U.S. and foreign military awards and honors, including the Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, Legion of Honour, and Knight of the French Order.[2][6]

Brown is the recipient of various other awards and honors:

  • In 2003, Brown was inducted into the Simpson Hamline United Methodist Church's Preacher Hall of Fame.[7]
  • In 2024, Brown was inducted into the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame.[4][6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tec5 Arlester Brown". Best Defense Foundation. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Grambling Sports Hall of Fame Booklet". Grambling State University. 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Caldwell, Traci (June 3, 2024). "D-Day vet's Normandy reunion spurs heartfelt plea". DC News Now. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Boatright, T. Scott (April 24, 2024). "100-year-old G-Man returns for Spring Black and Gold Game". Lincoln Parish Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Grambling Alumni Snapshot: Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown". NBC Sports. November 24, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c Irelnd, Doug (July 12, 2024). "Sold-out ceremony Saturday will usher in another Grambling Legends class". Shreveport-Bossier Journal. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Bro. Rev. Dr. Arlester Brown, R.C." The TORCH Newsletter. 2021.
  8. ^ "UMData | Pastor Profile". www.umdata.org. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  9. ^ "History". Hughes Memorial United Methodist Church. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  10. ^ LaRoche, Mikael (May 2, 2024). "Mu Lambda Torch - May 2024". Mu Lambda 1923. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  11. ^ The Road to an Aging Policy for the 21st Century: Final Report: 1995 White House Conference on Aging. The White House. 1996.
  12. ^ a b "Baltimore-Washington Conference UMC". www.bwcumc.org. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  13. ^ "Americans in World War II". C-SPAN. November 8, 2024.
  14. ^ Bullens, Lara (June 6, 2024). "'History comes alive' as last veterans mark 80 years since D-Day". France 24. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  15. ^ "Legion of Honor". www.defense.gov. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  16. ^ "Veterans, world leaders gather in Normandy to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day landings". DVIDS. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  17. ^ @EmmanuelMacron (February 24, 2025). "Honored to pay tribute to Arlester Brown and all the veterans who fought for France's freedom and peace 80 years ago. Thank you!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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