Ben Brown was born on June 26, 1917. He completed four years at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, as a pre-med student, and then enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Corps on November 10, 1939. Cadet Brown attended flight training at Dallas, Texas, from November 1939 to February 1940, at Randolph Field, Texas, from February to May 1940, and he was awarded his pilot wings and commissioned a 2d Lt in the U.S. Army Air Forces at Kelly Field, Texas, on July 27, 1940. Lt Brown next served as a P-36 Hawk and P-40 Warhawk pilot with the 77th Pursuit Squadron of the 20th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field, California, from August 1940 to May 1941, followed by service as Operations Officer and as a P-36 Hawk pilot with the 34th Pursuit Squadron of the 35th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field from May to October 1941. He then deployed with the 34th Pursuit Squadron to Del Carmen Field, Luzon, Philippines in November 1941, and flew combat missions from Del Carmen Field and Bataan Airfield during the opening days of World War II when the Japanese attacked the Philippines in December 1941 until the squadron was disbanded in February 1942. During this time he was made Squadron Commander of the 34th Pursuit Squadron, and he destroyed several Japanese aircraft in aerial combat, but none were ever officially awarded to him, as all squadron records were lost when the Japanese invaded. He then joined the 5th Interceptor Command as Operations Officer, serving at Bataan until he was evacuated out of the Philippines in May 1942. Capt Brown next served as Assistant Operations Officer for the 49th Fighter Group in Australia from May to October 1942, when he was sent back to the United States. He served as Operations Officer for the 98th Fighter Squadron of the 337th Fighter Group, a P-40 Warhawk replacement training unit, at Drew Field and then Sarasota Army Air Field, Florida, from November 1942 to February 1943, and then as Commander of the 440th Fighter Squadron of the 337th Fighter Group, a P-40 and then P-51 Mustang replacement training unit, at Pinellas Army Air Field, Florida, from February 1943 to April 1944. His next assignment was as Base Air Inspector with the 443rd Army Air Force Base Unit at Ontario Army Air Field, California, from May 1944 to October 1945, followed by service as Supervisor of Ground Training with the 420th Army Air Force Base Unit at March Field, California, from October 1945 to January 1946. Lt Col Brown was briefly assigned to Fort Ord Army Airfield, California, from January to March 1946, and he then served as Deputy Group Commander of the 357th Fighter Group on Occupation Duty at Neubiberg Air Base, Germany, from April to August 1946. He served as Deputy Commander for Operations and then Base Air Inspector with the 33rd Fighter Group at Neubiberg Air Base from August 1946 to June 1947, and he then served as Base Air Inspector with the 486th Air Service Group at Neubiberg Air Base during the month of July 1947 before returning to the United States in August 1947. Col Brown served as as an Air Inspector and Inspector General at several bases around the United States before leaving active duty and joining the Air Force Reserve on June 26, 1950. He served with the 9888th Air Reserve Squadron at Sarasota, Florida, from June 1950 until he was transferred to the Inactive Reserve on October 4, 1964. Col Brown retired from the Air Force Reserve on September 1, 1966. Ben Brown Flew West on May 3, 1994, and was buried at Palms Memorial Park in Sarasota, Florida.