SUCCASUNNA, NJ, U.S.A.
U.S. MARINE CORPS
LCPL, E CO, 2D BN, 3D MAR, (RCT-7, I MEF FWD), 3D MAR DIV, KANEOHE, HI
10/25/2006, HADITHAH, IRAQ
LCPL Brown, a graduate of Roxbury High School joined the Marine Corps in September 2005 and trained at the Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, SC. He died of combat wounds during deployment to Iraq in 2006. He was the youngest of the four Brown children. Donald took the path of his 23 year old brother, Kenneth, also a Marine, who served in Iraq. “I think he knew that when he went in he would have to go to Iraq – Kenneth told Donald that,” his father, Philip Brown, explained. “He (Donald) wanted to be a history teacher, but he wanted to go into the Marines first. He wanted to take part in history,” and fulfill a dream he had to defend his country. Mr. And Mrs. Brown told of how their son Donald loved being in the woods and playing football at the high school. And Donald was determined to serve in the military. “It was something that he really wanted to do to protect his country,” his mother, Annette Brown added. Donald always smiled. He really liked four-wheeling, eating “no-fuss” baked chicken – his favorite meal – and hunting at his grandfather’s farm in Belmont, N.Y.” Donald was a member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Succasunna. He was engaged to Megan Robinson.
Mark Solis, 20, remembered Donald Brown: “He just always seemed to be the perfect kind of person to be in the military. He was very disciplined, he was very honest, very positive, nice to everyone. Brown often spoke about “how much he wanted to go over there and make a difference,” Solis said. “He was a pretty quiet kid at first from an outsider’s point of view, but if you got to know him he was definitely just one of the nicest kids you’d ever know.”