John Thomas Brown, 1948-1968

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I went to high school with John. I remember him as a very popular guy. He played both basketball and baseball. We both graduated in 1966. John died serving our country in Vietnam eight months before I enlisted in the US Army. Here are a few remembrances of John from his childhood friends.

We were classmates at Port Richmond High School, class of 1966 and when he was a senior, he was the best outside shooter, if not the best basketball player on the team. Although shorter than many of the other players he always played with heart and was a catalyst for the many wins Port Richmond had in 1966. I did not see him much after graduation, although I heard he had joined the Army in 1967. I always wondered why he didn't get a scholarship somewhere, he was that good. Reading through his history, I see he was killed during the Tet Offensive of 1968, one month after arriving in country and with less than a year in the Army. He was killed 6 days after I entered Basic Training. It wasn't until years later that I learned of his passing. He was a good friend and I always admired his positive attitude, infectious spirit and comradery. He gave his life for his country and i hope to see him memorialized at the 50 year reunion in 2016. God Bless John T. Brown. -Bob Pineiro

John Thomas Brown, was my classmate at St. Mary of the Assumption Elementary School for 9 years, where we were in the same classroom together about 7 hours every day. We hung out in a group and did many things together on weekends, such as riding our bikes to a local bowling alley to bowl on Saturday mornings. Though we went to different high schools, we continued to see each other often through those years. We both played basketball for our high school teams, and would often go to each other's games. After high school, and a childhood friendship of 13 years, we began dating each other. We were both only 19 years old when he was killed. It has been 45 years now, and I think about him, still - almost every day. When something reminds me of the Vietnam War, I still sob from the depths of my being with the loss of my precious friend. I will always love and honor him with all my heart. -Kathleen M Stuart

I remember hearing of John's death. It rocked me. It made me sad. It made me afraid. My draft status was 1A. John's death was one of the reasons that I signed up for a third year of service when I was drafted. At 19 I did not feel ready to die in Vietnam. My extra year of service involved six months of electronics training and a two and half year duty station in the New Mexico desert. My military service prepared me for the rest of my life. As I think back on 1968 I will always remember the impact that John's death had on me. On this weekend of remembrance, I remember John.

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