He was subsequently attached to the Marine detachment aboard the USS Mississippi and spent next three years with sea duties.

Brown subsequently received Field promotion to the rank of second lieutenant in June 1943 and was attached as platoon leader to the Weapons Company of 6th Marine Regiment under Colonel Maurice G. Holmes.

His regiment then took part within 2nd Marine Division in the Amphibious Assault on Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands at the end of November 1943 and Brown quickly reached the rank of first lieutenant.

Lieutenant Brown ordered the craft abandoned after the unsuccessful effort to beat the flames and all of his men jumped to the water.

He subsequently provided him his own life belt and towed him to safety shortly before the craft exploded.

[4] In April 1946, Brown applied for flight training and was attached to the Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas.

His first aviation duty was at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, where he was attached for brief period to VMF-224 and later to the famous VMA-214.