Posted on Sat, Nov. 07, 2009

As the first color guard came into view this morning, James Brown stood, took off his ball cap and put it over his heart.

He can't walk far without his oxygen, and he can't stand for long periods, but he wanted to be at Wichita's Veterans Day Parade to honor his fellow veterans.

"When I went in, there was eight of us went into the squad," he said. "At the end, there was two of us left."

Brown's cap bears evidence of his World War II service: a Bronze Star, a Good Conduct Medal, a European Theater Medal with two battle stars, an Army of Occupation Medal and a Victory Medal.

From a bench at the northwest corner of Central and Main, Brown talked about his service as he watched veterans of all kinds, bands, public officials, vintage cars and students march by.

The annual parade is organized by the Wichita school district's Junior ROTC and leadership programs, who do it as a service project.

"We're honoring our veterans," said Col. Bob Hester, who directs the programs. "That's a pretty important cause."

Brown stays in touch with others from the 39th Infantry Battalion, Ninth Division, though they no longer gather for reunions. At 83, he's the youngest of the group still living, he said.

He's the only one without a Purple Heart. One fellow veteran joked during a reunion that the group should take him into a back room and shoot him in the foot, just so he could get one, he said.

Each time an American flag passed by him in the parade, whether carried by a Junior ROTC group or a veteran on a float or fluttering off the back of a Patriot Guard motorcycle, Brown's cap went over his heart.

Brown was in the infantry and sent to Europe in the closing months of World War II. "I got in at Remagen," he said, referring to a battle in March 1945 that opened the way for Allied troops to drive into the heart of Germany.

When the shooting ended, Brown became a medic, having gone through training before he went to Europe.

"The medics had the points to get home first, and there was an extreme shortage of medics," he said with a smile.

Brown's military career lasted 23 months but remained a part of him.

He said he tries to make the Veterans Day Parade every year. "If our (American) Legion club was involved, I'd probably be riding on the float, but they don't do it."

He watches the parades "just to see what's going on. What's new. Just to enjoy the camaraderie that goes along with it."

As a contingent from McConnell Air Force Base marched by, one member noticed Brown and his ball cap and gave him a salute.

Brown gave him a sharp salute in return.

"Thank you for your service," another parade participant called.

"Thank you," Brown replied.

Reach Karen Shideler at 316-268-6674 or kshideler@wichitaeagle.com.