In January, descendants of the men for whom the Brown School was named visited and had a conversation with Principal Aidan McCann. They had the opportunity to tour sections of the school that have remained largely unchanged since the 1950s, prior to the renovations in the 1990s. During their visit, the Brown family made an impromptu stop to a classroom full of students who were fascinated to learn that the men their school honors had fought in World War II.
Herbert M. Brown, Jr. and Harold B. Brown were both residents of West Natick. The individuals depicted in the photo are the children of Herbert and Harold’s siblings (who also served in World War II). Sadly, Herbert and Harold’s nieces and nephews never got to meet their uncles, as both young servicemen lost their lives in the Pacific during the war.
Herbert Brown, Navy electrician’s mate, third class, was 22 years old when he died in action in the Solomon Islands, as reported in a December 1942 Natick Bulletin article. He was the “first Natick man listed officially as killed in action”. Sergeant Harold Brown, an aerial photographer, was declared missing in action in late 1942, with later confirmation of his death in the Bismarck Sea provided by the U.S. Army Air Forces.
An October 19, 1950 Natick Bulletin article reported that the West School PTA decided to name the soon-to-be-opened Brown School in honor of the brothers. The Brown brothers' mother and other relatives were invited to an event in 1962 dedicating the memorial plaque shown in this photo.
(Pictured above, L-R): Amy Brown (wife of Michael), James Brown, Steven Brown, Michael Brown, Meredith Brown Dumm, and Principal Aidan McCann. Only one Brown relative who visited lives in Massachusetts, the others traveled from Connecticut and Virginia.