11/26/1957
1LT Gilbert Brown was born on Aug 26, 1920 and served in the Marine Corps as an EOD Technician during and after World War II. Gilbert, or “Jimmy” as he was called, was stationed in the Philippines for a short time, during which he was the sole survivor of an explosive attack. After leaving the Philippines, Jimmy became a Marine pilot. Due to his large stature, as he stood 6’6″ tall, Jimmy had to receive special permission to enter flight school. Jimmy continued to serve our nation as a Marine Pilot for many years, until 1956 when he assisted with a training mission with an EOD unit in North Carolina. On September 26, 1956, while leading the training mission, a live grenade mistakenly landed near a pit in which over 50 Marine EOD trainees had taken cover. Jimmy jumped on top of the grenade, smothering it with his body. Jimmy sustained a compound skull fracture and other penetrating head wounds, and was in a comatose state for 14 months before passing away from his injuries on November 26, 1957.
It is believed that Jimmy’s actions on September 26, 1956, saved the lives of the 50 EOD Technician trainees positioned in the pit. Jimmy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his actions. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism.
At the time of his death, Jimmy left behind two daughters, Patti and Susie (both under the age of 3) and his loving wife, Marie. Marie never remarried, saying that “No one would ever compare” to Jimmy.
*This bio was provided by Gilbert Brown’s nephew and FindAGrave.com. Please send any additional information and/or corrections to: caroline@test.eodwarriorfoundation.org. The EOD Warrior Foundation is not responsible for the accuracy of the information in bio.