Albert Brown (American veteran)
Encyclopedia
Albert "Doc" Brown was an American
former dentist
, veteran
of World War II
and prisoner of war
. Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March
at the time of his passing in 2011.
to parents, Albert and Ida Fonda Brown. His mother was the aunt of actor Henry Fonda
. His father, Albert, was a railroad engineer. Brown was also the godson
of Buffalo Bill
.
Brown was raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa
, following the death of his father, who worked as a railroad engineer
, in a locomotive
engine explosion. He joined the R.O.T.C. while in high school. Brown received a bachelor's degree
in dentistry
from Creighton University
in Omaha, Nebraska
, in 1927.
in the military in 1937. He left his wife, Helen, children and dental practice behind.
Brown and thousands of American and Filipino troops were captured following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. He survived the Bataan Death March
, in which the Japanese forced 78,000 Allied prisoners of war to march 65 miles from Bataan
to a POW camp without food, water or medical attention. An estimated 11,000 prisoners died during the march, including those who were killed when they fell in the jungle. Brown recorded the events he witnessed in secret using a small writing tablet and pencil hidden inside his canvas
bag's lining. He witnessed the killing of Filipinos who had attempted to throw fruit to the prisoners in the march.
Following the Bataan Death March, Brown endured a three-year imprisonment in a Japanese POW camp from 1942 until he was liberated in the middle of September 1945. He ate nothing but rice
while in the camp. Brown became afflicted with more than twelve diseases while in the camp, including dengue fever
, malaria
and dysentery
. He also suffered a broken neck and back. He was released from the camp when he was 40 years old. He was nearly blind from maltreatment and had lost more than eighty pounds, then weighing less than one hundred pounds. A doctor told Brown that he would not live to be 50 years old due to the extent of his injuries. However, he lived to be 105 years old.
, California
, after World War II. He was unable to return to dentistry
or reopen his practice due to the injuries he sustained in the march and the POW camp. Instead, Brown returned to college and became involved in rental properties, which he purchased and became a landlord
. He rented houses and other properties to some of Hollywood's major figures of the time, including Olivia de Havilland
and Joan Fontaine
. He developed personal friendships with Roy Rogers
and John Wayne
. He even read for some screen test
s while dabbling in acting.
He later moved from California
to southern Illinois in 1998, settling in the town of Pinckneyville
to live with his daughter. He did not openly discuss his experience on the Bataan Death March until the 1990s, approximately fifteen to twenty years before his passing. In 2007, Brown was recognized as the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March by the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, a veterans organization. The American War Library, which is located in Gardena, California
, also named Brown as the oldest living World War II veteran at the time, though that has never been confirmed by other organizations. His experience during the march and war was chronicled in the 2011 book, Heroes of the Pacific War: One Man’s True Story, by Ken Moore.
Albert Brown died in a nursing home
in Nashville, Illinois
, on August 14, 2011, at the age of 105. His wife of fifty-eight years, Helen Johnson Brown, died in 1985. Brown was survived by his daughter, Peggy Doughty; son, Graham; twelve grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and nineteen great-great grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
at the time of his passing in 2011.
Early life
Brown was born on October 26, 1905, in North Platte, NebraskaNorth Platte, Nebraska
North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the southwestern part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River...
to parents, Albert and Ida Fonda Brown. His mother was the aunt of actor Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
. His father, Albert, was a railroad engineer. Brown was also the godson
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
of Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
.
Brown was raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, following the death of his father, who worked as a railroad engineer
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
, in a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
engine explosion. He joined the R.O.T.C. while in high school. Brown received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
from Creighton University
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, in 1927.
World War II
Brown was drafted into active dutyActive duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
in the military in 1937. He left his wife, Helen, children and dental practice behind.
Brown and thousands of American and Filipino troops were captured following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. He survived the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer, by the Imperial Japanese Army, of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of prisoners.The march was characterized by...
, in which the Japanese forced 78,000 Allied prisoners of war to march 65 miles from Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
to a POW camp without food, water or medical attention. An estimated 11,000 prisoners died during the march, including those who were killed when they fell in the jungle. Brown recorded the events he witnessed in secret using a small writing tablet and pencil hidden inside his canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
bag's lining. He witnessed the killing of Filipinos who had attempted to throw fruit to the prisoners in the march.
Following the Bataan Death March, Brown endured a three-year imprisonment in a Japanese POW camp from 1942 until he was liberated in the middle of September 1945. He ate nothing but rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
while in the camp. Brown became afflicted with more than twelve diseases while in the camp, including dengue fever
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. He also suffered a broken neck and back. He was released from the camp when he was 40 years old. He was nearly blind from maltreatment and had lost more than eighty pounds, then weighing less than one hundred pounds. A doctor told Brown that he would not live to be 50 years old due to the extent of his injuries. However, he lived to be 105 years old.
Post-war years
Brown moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, after World War II. He was unable to return to dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
or reopen his practice due to the injuries he sustained in the march and the POW camp. Instead, Brown returned to college and became involved in rental properties, which he purchased and became a landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
. He rented houses and other properties to some of Hollywood's major figures of the time, including Olivia de Havilland
Olivia de Havilland
Olivia Mary de Havilland is a British American film and stage actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 and 1949. She is the elder sister of actress Joan Fontaine. The sisters are among the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.-Early life:Olivia de Havilland...
and Joan Fontaine
Joan Fontaine
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland , known professionally as Joan Fontaine, is a British American actress. She and her elder sister Olivia de Havilland are two of the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s....
. He developed personal friendships with Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. He even read for some screen test
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
s while dabbling in acting.
He later moved from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to southern Illinois in 1998, settling in the town of Pinckneyville
Pinckneyville, Illinois
Pinckneyville is a city in Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,464 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Perry County...
to live with his daughter. He did not openly discuss his experience on the Bataan Death March until the 1990s, approximately fifteen to twenty years before his passing. In 2007, Brown was recognized as the oldest living survivor of the Bataan Death March by the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, a veterans organization. The American War Library, which is located in Gardena, California
Gardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
, also named Brown as the oldest living World War II veteran at the time, though that has never been confirmed by other organizations. His experience during the march and war was chronicled in the 2011 book, Heroes of the Pacific War: One Man’s True Story, by Ken Moore.
Albert Brown died in a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
in Nashville, Illinois
Nashville, Illinois
Nashville is a city in Washington County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,258. It is the county seat of Washington County.-Geography:Nashville is located at ....
, on August 14, 2011, at the age of 105. His wife of fifty-eight years, Helen Johnson Brown, died in 1985. Brown was survived by his daughter, Peggy Doughty; son, Graham; twelve grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and nineteen great-great grandchildren.