PFC - E2 - Marine Corps
22 years old-Born on Dec 15, 1944
Home: NEPTUNE, NEW JERSEY
Length of service-1 year
Casualty was on Mar 18, 1967
in QUANG NGAI, SOUTH VIETNAM
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 16E - - Line 104
DaNang, November 1966
submitted by
Marty Lilly
Email: lillym45@dustoff.org
Just a Friend
provided by Jay Ford and Eric Nevatie
Donnie on the far left
Jay, leaning on the pillar
TO REMEMBER A FRIEND
Donnie and I met while playing sand-lot football on
the beachfront in Bradley Beach, NJ.
We played on
Sunday afternoons for a number of years, each fall.
Donnie played hard, smiled after each play and
loved his car.
We were about the same age, and
with Viet Nam on all our minds, we looked into joining
the Marines together.
We were both kind of gung
ho, as they say.
So, Donnie joined the Marines
and I joined the Army.
I read about Donnie
being killed in the Asbury Park Press that Mom had
sent to me.
It was a couple of weeks after the
event and I was frozen with grief when I read it.
I think about Donnie every now and then-often when
I least expect to.
I still miss him.
So many of our best and most patriotic are taken from us
THERE IS A BETTER WAY!
Tuesday, May 11, 1999
LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO KNEW DONNIE
Subject: Donnald H. Brower
From: Deleted
Date: Sat, Jun 12 1999 12:50:44 PM –0700
A Buddy On The Line
Hi Marty,
Welcome home bro.
You are probably the closest
connection to Don Brower that I have had since 1967.
Don and I were in the same gun team in
India Company, and we were good friends.
I have some pictures of Don and
will be passing then on to Cookie to post in our memorial page.
Many times in the past 30 years I tried to get a family address to Donnals family
but no luck.
I knew he was from New Jersey, but that was it. We were both humping
amo for the M-60 in same gun team. At the end of December I could not walk, wear boots,
my skin peeled off almost to my waist with jungle rot.
We had just come back from DMZ
and of course it wasn't dry at hill 65-so they ship me to the rear.
Don took my spot
on the team, and when I heard that he was killed,I felt terrible guilt
over the whole thing for 20 some years,
until I gave it to God, literally.
Now I have
peace over it, but not a day go by that I don't think about Don
along with some of the other
KIA's from India, but Don mostly.
For the brief time we were together we became good
friends.
I came originaly from Finland, I was 17 years old when I came to states
on my own.
I wanted to learn English, so I joined the Marine Corps and
found my self fighting a war exactly one year after arriving to U.S.
I
must be the only Finn in history to speak English with a Vietnamese
accent.....
If you know Don’s family and have any contact with them, tell them they
can be very proud of Donnald.
He was a good Marine, and a Best Friend
and I'm sad for their loss.
Donnals in the much better place now, a
perfect Peace in God's precense.
Semper Fi,
E
His Platoon Commander
To: ly@498dustoff.zzn.com
Subject: Don Brower
From: Deleted
Date: Sat, Jun 12 1999 3:50:27 PM EDT
Marty
I was the 1st platoon leader for much of Don Brower's time of service with
India Co.
If you wish to hear some details about the circumstances of his
death, please get in touch with me
I'm sure I wrote a letter to his parents with information on how he died.
As
you may be aware, he was shot during Operation
DeSoto in the Duc Pho area about 60 miles south of Quang Ngai
and just a few
miles north of the I Corps and II Corps line.
I look forward to hearing from you, Marty.
(Name deleted) (I had just made 1st Lieutenant about the time of Don's death)
A Friend Of His Dad’s
To: ly@498dustoff.zzn.com
Subject: Donald Harry Brower
From: Deleted
Date: Thu, Feb 24 2000 9:23:42 PM –0500
Dear Marty,
you don't know me. I was born in Neptune NJ and lived in Farmingdale most of my life.
I did not know Donald but knew his Father.
He and I worked at a Bank together and I remember the day I heard his Son was killed
it has stayed on my mind all these years.
In 1985, I married a Marine and we moved to various places-he retired recently with 30 year's 8 months service.
Can you tell me if Harry's Father is still alive?
We went to the Wall a few years back, I found his name
and stenciled it for some reason.
He has been in my mind
all these years.
I would like to hear from you.
498TH DUSTOFF LINKS
THE MARINE ZONE-The Magnificent 7th Marines
INDIA COMPANY-ERIKKI NEVATIE
FIRST PHOTO PAGE
Viet Nam Veteran's Memorial Wall page
