Charles Naaman Brown was born February 17, 1909, in Utica, Oneida County, New York, to James F (1860-1937) and Ella Flora Beach (1869-1944) Brown. Naaman was the youngest of five children. His siblings were Elsie Morine Dillon (1891-1976), Bessie Heintz (1892-1975), Harry Augustus (1894-1918), and Ruth (1897-1980). According to US Census Records, James was born in Canada and immigrated to the United States in 1882; Ella was born in New York. James worked in the automobile repair trade and by 1930 owned a business making auto tops.

Naaman, as he was known,  graduated from New Hartford High School, New Hartford, New York. He was a member of Calvary Methodist Church. He received a degree in general agriculture (three-year course) from the New York State School of Agriculture at Morrisville in March 1930. Naaman “Nim” was very active in college: Class President, President of Student Body, Business Manager of the Arcadian (yearbook), Kappa Delta Fraternity, Interfraternity Council, Athletic Advisory Board, JV Basketball, Class Basketball, Orchestra, Cheer Leader, and in Dramatics.

On June 20, 1934, Charles Naaman Brown wed Marian Quackenbush in Prospect, New York. Naaman had taught at Woods School in Langhorn, Pennsylvania, and was currently employed at Rome State School in Rome, New York. Marian was also a teacher. The Browns moved to Rome, New York, on April 9, 1940.

Naaman was an active member of the Rome, NY, community and Oneida County. He played golf on one of the Rome State School teams; he was active in the Remsen Masonic Lodge 677 F&AM, serving in various offices including Master at the time of his induction into the Army; assisted in organizing alumni events for his college class; and served with the Oneida County Fireman’s Association and as Chief of the Remsen Volunteer Fire Company.

Charles Naaman Brown registered for the draft October 16, 1940, in Rome, New York. He was 31 years old, married, teaching at the Rome State School, and 5’9 ½” tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Naaman reported for a physical for the US Army in Utica, NY, on February 25, 1943, and reported March 4, 1943, to Camp Upton, Upton, New York, for induction. Pvt. Brown completed basic training at Keesler Field, Mississippi. He was stationed at Fort Warren, Wyoming, and in August 1943, was at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. On November 3, 1943, he was listed among US Army Enlisted personnel on board the USS President Monroe sailing from San Franciso. PFC Brown was fire chief of a crash crew and served on Hawaii and Guam.

PFC Brown was sent to Okinawa in July 1945. He was reported killed in action on July 30, 1945, on Okinawa. PFC Brown’s death is reported as DNB (Died Non Battle) on the roster of Oneida County WWII fallen. He was the 81st Roman to lose his life in WWII in the service of his country. PFC Brown was awarded the Rome Medal of Honor posthumously.

On June 11, 1946, employees of Rome State School honored 70 ex-servicemen at a dinner. A period of silence was held in memory of C. Naaman Brown, Hobart Pitts, and Edward Butler, who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II.

The bodies of PFC Charles Naaman Brown, SSgt. Frank Janik, and Pvt. Jack Dunn were returned home to Rome, NY, in February 1949. All three were killed on Okinawa. Military services for PFC Brown were held at the Howard P. Teller funeral home and burial in Prospect Cemetery, Oneida County, New York.

End notes: This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars Project, a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3 web sites. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact hillerson@beyondbb.com.           

Date: 3/15/2024

Sources:

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69328474/charles_naaman-brown ), memorial page for PFC Charles Naaman Brown (1909–29 Jun 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 69328474, citing Prospect Cemetery, Prospect, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by DBT (contributor 46622280).

Fold3:

https://www.fold3.com/image/312020730?rec=303050987

https://www.fold3.com/image/310770916?rec=299532047

https://www.fold3.com/record/86561294/charles-n-brown-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

https://www.fold3.com/image/712938614?rec=641555936

https://www.fold3.com/image/673711669?terms=n,york,new,brown,charles,naaman

HonorStates.org: https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/395461/

Keesler Field, MS: https://www.keesler.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/360538/history-of-keesler-air-force-base/

Fort Warren, WY: https://www.fewarrenhousing.com/history

Jefferson Barracks, MO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Barracks_Military_Post

Fire Engineering: https://www.fireengineering.com/apparatus-equipment/international-fire-service-ww2/#gref

National WWII Museum: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-of-okinawa

Camp Upton: https://www.bnl.gov/about/history/campupton.php

Center for Study of Pacific War Memories, University of California, Santa Cruz: https://cspwm.ucsc.edu/projects/okinawa-peace-memorial-park-project/

Naval History and Heritage Command: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/p/president-monroe.html#:~:text=President%20Monroe%20(AP%2D104),.%3B%20launched%207%20August%201940%3B

Related Documents: