Pfc. Eric J. Brown, Platoon 2065, Company E, wears his Service “A” uniform at a battalion commander’s inspection.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
Posted on 03/31/2006 5:10:42 PM PST by SandRat
MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (March 31, 2006) -- When Hurricane Katrina hit his home town of New Orleans, Pfc. Eric J. Brown, Platoon 2061, Company E, thought he lost his chance, once again, to become a Marine.
Brown was originally sent to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., the training facility designated for most male recruits from east of the Mississippi River and all female recruits.
During a medical re-evaluation at Parris Island, it was discovered that after several duck hunting trips without hearing protection, Brown damaged his hearing to a point that was unacceptable for duty.
He continued with training until, on training day 35, his paperwork was completely processed, and he received an erroneous discharge from the Marine Corps.
Brown returned home during the first week of November 2004 and waited six months before he was able to apply for re-enlistment.
Brown went back home with intentions to fight his way back into the Corps.
“I’ve been trying to get in since I got out,” he said.
Finally, after dealing with numerous recruiting stations, Brown found a recruiter who thought he would be able to help Brown get one more chance at becoming a Marine.
“Initially, the first time he went I was scared,” said Lynn Guidry, Brown’s mother. “I was glad that if he was going to choose to go into the military, that he chose the Marines, because I know that was where he would receive the best training.”
While waiting for his application for reenlistment to be approved, word came that a huge storm was preparing to hit New Orleans, and it was necessary for everyone to evacuate.
Brown’s family, along with his fiancé and her family, evacuated the Saturday before the hurricane hit, but Brown volunteered to stay behind and continued working as a valet for a hotel chain managed by his friend.
Tuesday after the storm hit, Brown and his friend Ed Cannon, a fellow valet at the hotel, decided it was time to leave town and head for some place safer.
Brown was finally told by a recruiter in New Orleans that there was hope of reenlistment. But when Katrina hit New Orleans, forcing the evacuation of the recruiting commands and causing mass destruction, Brown’s applications and re-enlistment paperwork were destroyed.
Brown and Cannon traveled to Texas in hopes of refuge and a job. However, they found nothing but trouble.
The young men traveled through streets of increasing chaos and crime to get out of their disaster-ridden hometown. In vehicles overflowing with the only remnants of their life before the storm, they managed to take some by-standers from the hotel to the nearest airport on their way to Texas.
“I rode out of town with my shot gun sitting between my legs. Everything I owned, that was left, was sitting in the back of my truck,” said Brown.
The local Texas communities were unwelcoming to the evacuees, blaming the New Orleanians for the recent rise in crime, according to Brown.
Brown decided it was time to be with his mother and drove the rest of his belongings to Seattle, where she was staying with her brother.
“At first it was almost like a bad dream. You didn’t expect it to happen to you,” said Brown.
When they were able to, Brown and his mother and uncle flew back to New Orleans in hopes of salvaging something of their gutted home.
“I tried cleaning my house up as much as possible and then come to find out, my house had to be demolished,” said Brown.
The water levels left two brown rings around his house like the dirty rings of soap scum on a draining bathtub.
The first water level, marked by a large orange X, reached the middle of the doorway. Rescue workers searched the house for survivors and marked the house with the damage they found. Later, another ring was found, several feet higher, encircling the middle of the roof.
Everything Brown and his mother had before the storm was gone. Brown said they had nothing to stick around for.
“I just told him it was the perfect time. There were no jobs back home, and we had nothing. It was just time for us to separate. I understand why he wanted to go,” said Guidry.
When they returned to Seattle, Brown got a hold of recruiters who were more than eager to help him start the enlistment process again.
Working off the credentials Brown received from his series commander at Parris Island, the recruiters were able to help Brown obtain a medical waiver for his hearing and return to training without any further complications.
“I didn’t think mentally I was ready to come, but I knew I had to take advantage of someone helping me get in. I already got a waiver, so I had to take advantage of it,” said Brown.
Brown’s family lost everything it had in the storm. During recruit training, Brown’s continual good-natured attitude was a testament to the hard times he had been through.
“Since the storm and all, I have this attitude like ‘I already had everything taken away from me. You can’t do anything else to me,’” said Brown. “I need to have a smile on my face just to make it day-by-day.”
After all of the hardships Brown experienced while trying to become a Marine, he has overcome them all with a constant smile and fun-loving attitude. Brown has earned something that can never be taken away from him. He has earned the title Marine.
Pfc. Eric J. Brown, Platoon 2065, Company E, wears his Service “A” uniform at a battalion commander’s inspection.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. Kaitlyn M. Scarboro
One determined individual!
It may take a lot of water to wash away New Orleans, but nothing is going to wash away this guy's determination to be a Marine.
Good for him, and good for the Corps for taking him.
Well, Bless his Marine
Never say Quit
Attitude!
I hope he is a better shot than I.
Ducks would and still laugh at me to no end.
I don't know... he's wearing a Pizza Box.
"During a medical re-evaluation at Parris Island, it was discovered that after several duck hunting trips without hearing protection, Brown damaged his hearing to a point that was unacceptable for duty. "
This doesn't sound right. No joke. The hearing loss more likely came from some other activity or a past health problem.
I had guys wearing thick glasses that qualified expert, I was happy to get a sharpshooter out of it.. he's wearing a marksman badge the lowest of 3 badges awarded, they being Expert, Sharpshooter and Marksman
The worst part of rifle range was the days of snapping in before they actually let ya start plinking targets. aches and pains? OhYeah!!
BTTT
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