Ernest Benton Brown III, US Marine Major
He was born in Morton’s Gap, Kentucky on 14 Feb 1938, grew up in Minnesota from third grade through college and grad school, went on to the Marines, to senior airline pilot, to acclaimed archer and instructor.
His parents were both schoolteachers. In 1958 he enrolled in the Marine Platoon Leader Class (PLC.) It was a brutal twelve weeks at Quantico. He passed the requirements to go to flight school after graduation and officer commission. In June 1960, he and his wife Beth were married, he graduated, and became a Marine Officer all in a three-day period. He went on to a heavy HRS (Army H37) squadron—HMH 462 and spent the next two years in that unit. There were only two HRS squadrons in the Marine Corps and the flying was always interesting. He flew the “Duce” which was a 31,000-pound helicopter with two R2800 engines. At the time, it was the only helo that could carry a 105 Howitzer. The Marines let him out a little early so he could start graduate school in Sept. 1963 at the University of Minnesota. His interest and thesis were on the winter active animals that live under snow cover. His study area was a meadow and surrounding woods about a mile from the headwaters of the Mississippi River, in Itasca State Park, Minnesota. He stayed active in the Reserves and was hired by Northwest Airlines on 8 July 1968. He flew actively as a senior captain for Northwest Airlines until he retired in 1993. Archery has been a lifelong hobby. He has won numerous awards and today is a prominent instructor at the Lee Country Archers in Ft. Myers, FL. He and his wife Beth have been married for 63 years.
Ben was a Veteran visited by SGT Erschik on September 8, 2023