Legionnaire extraordinaire Jack Brown is committed to preserving the honor of those who served

DIXON, CA (MPG) - A large four-foot by four-foot display of a silver-painted airplane model took Jack Brown away just for a moment. His chatter with his daughter quieted as he studied the craft and then he returned to point out the details only a military man might know.

Jack Brown was 22 and just getting out of college studying police science when he was drafted. Serving in the Marines for a few years as a Colonel’s Aid in the Infantry Division taught him something valuable: Quiet dignity and hard work.

“I learned how to take orders,” the man with a full head of snow, white hair said with a laugh as he sat comfortably in his “second” home; the Dixon Memorial Veterans Hall at 1305 North First Street where he has been selected as Legionnaire of the Year. Continuing to serve with pride, Brown has dedicated countless hours to preserving the legacies of those who served our nation.

“Jack is Leah Marlin’s Daddy, and they do a lot for the hall,” explained Post Commander Wayne Holland. Marlin is the Hall Coordinator and renting the hall is another income-generator that enables them to stay open for their veterans and provide services. “Jack has been really exceptional this year. We’ve lost eight of our active members since September.”

Holland then listed them: Harold Benzel, Rocky Cristes, Greg Coppes, Russ Cayler, Robert Ikelman, William Smith III, Joseph Klink, and Mack Robertson. In the last few years, they also lost heavily involved members Heber Holbrook, Mike Hagerman, and Sandy Sanders.

“Most of those were dual members,” he said, so the members that have supported the Dixon Veterans Hall for decades have left openings for new men and women to step up. Brown was one of them.

“He never hesitates to help,” said Holland. “In the recent windstorm, the wind broke off a large branch and I called him. Within two hours, he was here, cut up the branch, and cleaned up. He also volunteers at our dinners.” When Holland and Norm Shontz talked about creating a museum inside the Veterans Hall with all the paraphernalia, Marlin called her Dad and the two got to work on it.

Marlin knew the hall would rent out easier if some of the pictures, flags, and awards were not in the grand area, so the museum idea gave them a “win-win” situation. The father-daughter team spent all last month including every weekend cleaning out the back rooms that were formerly used by church or other groups but aren’t any longer. They made the one meeting room look more professional and ready for veteran groups and in the hall, they stripped, sanded, removed wall hangings, patched walls, and spent days painting.

“We just do what needs to be done,” said Marlin. “My Dad worked 12 years at Ace Hardware in Winters after retiring from a career in the grocery business. He goes to all the children’s sporting events and takes care of FFA animals. We keep him busy.” He also worked several years at a Berryessa grocery store that allowed him to keep a boat at the dock.

“Those were fun years,” he said smiling in his crisp, white-collared shirt sporting a gold-threaded Legion logo. “I taught my grandson how to drive and I have three great grandkids. I don’t need a wife; I have a daughter,” Brown said with a wry smile. “She tells me what to do.”

There is obvious pride in the museum tour he supplies where everything appears neat and orderly, a part of his character according to his two grown children, both living in Dixon and Vacaville with their families.

“I want one whole wall dedicated to women who served,” Brown said, adding that the man who made the large silver plane model must have spent hours on it. It was donated and included a tiny plastic woman pilot.

“He wanted people to know women were the workers and the welders,” Brown explained. They have found “priceless memoirs” at garage sales like a 60-year-old ALP 208 cap. In addition, Marlin holds a black and white framed picture of long-time legion member Kitty Lockwood being sworn into the service by her father. The one-room museum also holds several glass cases of military ships donated by life-long veteran Holbrook before he passed.

The look and feel of the American military has changed, but legionnaire extraordinaire Jack Brown is committed to preserving the honor of those who served.

For more information on joining the American Legion Post or volunteering at the Veterans Hall, call Holland at (707) 301-0941.