Arthur Edmon Brown, Jr.
General, U.S. Army

Arthur Edmon Brown, Jr. was born on 21 November 1929 in Manila, Philippines, the son of an Army dental surgeon. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Alabama for two years before being accepted to the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated in 1953 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry. He also married his girlfriend, Jerry Cook, after graduation.

After graduating from Airborne and Ranger School, he was assigned as a rifle platoon leader with the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. He was a company commander in the 60th Infantry Regiment, He went to Vietnam with the Military Advisory Assistance Group-Vietnam from 1962-63.

Upon his return to the U.S. he attended the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Master's Degree, He was then assigned to the Directorate of Plans, Army Combat Development Command, and awarded a Legion of Merit for his work on the Assessment of Combat Effectiveness Study and the Dynamics of Firepower and Maneuver Study, as well as for his efforts as a member of the Pacification Role in Vietnam Study Group and his work with the Institute of Land Combat. He served as Executive Officer to the U.S. Representative, NATO Military Committee in Belgium, from 1967-68, earning a Joint Service Commendation Medal.

He graduated from the Army War College and returned to Vietnam in 1969 for a second tour, commanding the 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry Regiment of the Americal Division and serving as an advisor to the 9th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

After his second Vietnam tour he returned to the Army War College as Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Studies, and later served as Director, General Purpose Forces Strategy Studies. He went on to command the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and worked as a Division Chief and Executive Officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations from 1975-78.

Brown next served as Assistant Division Commander, 25th Infantry Division from 1978-80. He returned to West Point as Deputy Superintendent; during his tenure he was responsible for the welcome, housing, and transition of the American hostages that had been released from Iran. In 1981, he took command of Mobilization and Readiness Region IV, which was responsible for Reserve and National Guard units in five southeastern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

As a Lieutenant General in 1983, he was assigned as Director of the Army Staff, and oversaw the greatest modernization program since World War II. This included the transition to the M1 Abrams, the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-64 Apache, and the creation or transition to four light infantry divisions: the 6th, 7th, 10th and 25th Infantry Divisions. He also managed the staff reorganization mandated by the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 and served as a member of the Stilwell Commission on security. He was also responsible for providing guidance on public affairs matters during a time which saw the Gander aircraft disaster and Operation Urgent Fury.

He was appointed to the post of Vice Chief of Staff of the Army in June 1987. He served as Chief of the U.S. Delegation to the 1987 American, British, Canadian, and Australian Conference on Military Standardization and provided analyses and advice on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Arms Control Treaty.

General Brown retired from active service in 1989.

In Retirement

After retiring from the military, he served in various community service positions, including serving on the board of the United Way of Beaufort County, SC; serving as a trustee of the Technical College of the Lowcountry Foundation and later as chairman; and serving on the board of the Hilton Head Island Foundation.

Medals, Awards, Badges & Tabs

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Silver Star Medal
Legion of Merit with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal with Combat Valor Device and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with Numeral 9
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with "Valor" Device
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Vietnam Service Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with 3 Gold Stars
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
Ranger Tab

Honors

Recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates, the U.S. Military Academy Alumni Association.

In 2010 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.