High school drama training had not prepared Charles for the real life drama that awaited him over Italy in 1943.

Charles Orville Brown Jr. was born in Santa Cruz, California, on October 16, 1914, to Charles and Mildred Brown. Charles attended local schools with his two sisters, Dell and Velma. In 1929 he entered Santa Cruz High School and was remembered for his amateur theatrical performances.

Following his graduation in 1932, Charles enrolled in San Jose State College and majored in music. After leaving college in 1942, he began a career in the insurance business with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. During that same period he was married; however, that marriage ended in a divorce.

In February 1942 Charles Brown enlisted in the US Army Air Force and was sent to Shepard Field, Texas, for training. After basic training, he reported to Scotts Field, Illinois, for radio instruction; Boca Raton, Florida, for radar training; and DeRidder, Louisiana, where he was trained to be a bombardier on B25 bombers.

Staff Sergeant Brown was deployed to North Africa in February 1943 and participated in the war in Tunisia. Following the North African campaign, Brown and his crew-members conducted bombing missions over Sicily.

After Sicily fell to the Allies, the Italian mainland became the Army Air Force's next target. Brown was assigned to the AAF base in Foggia and began flying missions from that location.

On the morning of December 2, 1943, after having completed twenty-eight previous missions, Sergeant Brown's plane was hit and seen falling to the earth. His remains were recovered and buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery at Nettuno, Italy. His awards included the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters.

(NARA2; SCHSC, Pg. 7; SCSn August 8, 1944 1:3; ABMC)