Engineered for Greatness: Erroll M. Brown
By Petty Officer Joshua Canup
An engineer is someone who takes many different parts and puts them together in working order, recognizing the worth and placement of each piece. Retired Rear Adm. Erroll M. Brown is one such engineer who rose through the ranks of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Growing up on his grandfather's farm in rural 1950s Florida, Erroll M. Brown and his older siblings always needed to finish their chores before they were allowed to play, a staple rule for many Southern homes in that time. Hard work early on reaped rewards for the rest of the day in the form of playing with friends and playing basketball.
Brown also found as a child he loved putting things together with his hands and figuring out how pieces fit together. In time, he'd learn that such work ethic and fascination would pay off in ways he'd never expect. Attending high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, he learned that his passion took focus in engineering. He especially loved drafting class where he would design homes and seeing them take shape. Everything had a place and fit where he wanted.
Around him, however, people were being told where they fit in society through Jim Crow laws.
"When you went out, you knew where you weren't supposed to go," said Brown regarding his childhood. "Downtown, there were fountains marked for colored people and white people."
While St. Petersburg was far removed from the infamous locales of the Civil Rights movement, it was not unaffected by the laws that enforced segregation. In high school, despite having top grades and even rising as a football star, Brown still faced discrimination for being African-American.
His determination, however, led to an unexpected delivery. Coming home shortly after graduation, Brown was informed he'd received a postcard: a simple three-cent postcard from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy that asked if he was interested in attending. On it were two boxes to check, yes or no.
Brown had no idea what the Coast Guard or its academy was about, but knew the importance of an education. His mother, a third grade teacher, had a master's degree and always encouraged him to pursue a higher education. She also made sure Brown was self-reliant and worked hard on his own rather than depending on others to help him.
"I once asked her for help on a math assignment in the fourth grade," said Brown, smiling. "She told me 'I can't help you with that, son. I teach third grade math and you're in the fourth grade.' I was in the Academy lying in bed when it finally hit me. She had a master's degree, of course she could have helped me!"
While he laughs about it now, Brown knew the value of his mother's stern choice not to help him.
"She knew I needed to be able to do this on my own," said Brown.
By the time he was 17, Brown was focused on his education. This was his primary concern when he visited the Coast Guard Academy in 1968. Having not researched the Coast Guard or the Academy, Brown had no idea what he was in for.
"I told my folks to wait outside for me while I checked it out. Next thing I know, people are yelling at me, cutting my hair and I'm telling them I want to talk to my parents," said Brown. "They informed me they were already gone!"
During the first part of his Academy life Brown was unsure he'd made a good choice. However, that changed as soon as life became more academic. The spark that had been Brown's passion for engineering flourished while in the Academy. After graduation Brown was stationed aboard several cutters, including the ice breaker Burton Island and 378-foot cutters Jarvis and Rush, and knew he'd found his career.
Brown's love of engineering stayed strong and he held several engineering positions as he rose up the ranks. During his time underway he enjoyed working alongside the talented enlisted personnel aboard.
"I had the engineering studies from the academy but the chiefs had the practical application," said Brown on his experience with Coast Guard chiefs, the senior enlisted personnel. "They're the glue that holds the Coast Guard together and, while working hand-in-hand with them, I learned so much."
His experiences and accomplishments led to his appointment as command of Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, Virginia. During his time as commander of the base he received some unexpected news. His wife, Monica, told him that he had a phone call from the commandant of the Coast Guard.
"I felt sick to my stomach," said Brown. "He was calling from the command center and I just knew that something was wrong. You don't get a call like that unless something is wrong."
To his surprise, the commandant hadn't called to tell him anything was wrong but that he had been selected to become an admiral, the first African-American admiral in the Coast Guard.
As an admiral, Brown's engineering culminated when he became commander of the Coast Guard's 13th District. He also served as the commander of Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic, or MLCLANT, in Norfolk, Virginia. MLCLANT provides maintenance and logistics support to Coast Guard commands in 40 states east of the Rocky Mountains, as well as commands in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Europe.
After retiring in 2005 after 33 years of Coast Guard life, Brown looks back fondly at his Coast Guard career as having made his dreams come true. It's a long journey from a young boy in rural Florida to retired rear admiral but Brown believes his mother's encouragement and the life-saving culture of the Coast Guard pushed him along that journey.
"I love it," said Brown of the Coast Guard. "The humanitarian culture, that's what's real."
| Date Taken: |
02.17.2017 |
| Date Posted: |
02.17.2017 16:41 |
| Story ID: |
224011 |
| Location: |
VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: |
173 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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