Romie L. "Les" Brownlee

Les Brownlee, former Army Undersecretary and combat veteran, dies at 82

Romie L. "Les" Brownlee, who commanded one of the first combat units in Vietnam and later served concurrently as both Acting Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of the Army for nineteen months, becoming the longest-serving Acting Secretary of the Army in history, died of natural causes on May 19 at his home in Annandale, Virginia. He was 82.

"Les Brownlee has always been guided by what he thought was in the best interest of our Nation's security and in the best interest of the men and women of our Armed Forces," the late Senator John Warner of Virginia stated in support of Mr. Brownlee's nomination as Undersecretary of the Army. "My military career pales in the face of Les Brownlee’s and those of the men and women who have really gotten into the thick of it, have been tested, and proved not only to survive, but continue their leadership."

Les Brownlee was born on July 11, 1939, in the small west Texas town of Pampa. His father, Clyde, was an explosives expert who shot oil wells with nitroglycerin torpedoes, and his mother, Gladys, was a homemaker. Their home was full of love, encouragement and grounded by a deep faith in Jesus Christ. By the fifth grade, the family had moved to Odessa, another west Texas oil town. Mr. Brownlee graduated from Odessa High School in 1957 and earned a scholarship to the University Wyoming. There, he met his future wife, Nancy, and, upon graduation in 1962, was commissioned in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. After his first assignment with the 101st Airborne Division, Mr. Brownlee volunteered for the Army's rigorous Ranger School and graduated as its Distinguished Honor Graduate in March 1965. He then joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade - arriving as the first U.S. Army ground combat unit to be committed to Vietnam.

In the fall of 1965, Mr. Brownlee took command of an infantry company with a primary area of operations in South Vietnam near the Dong Nai River, referred to as War Zone D. On March 13, 1966, during a firefight, then-Captain Brownlee, while successfully saving several soldiers who were cut off from their unit and exposed to heavy enemy fire, was wounded when he was struck by an enemy grenade. Mr. Brownlee was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third highest award for valor, for his heroism, and a Purple Heart for his wounds received during the firefight.

Mr. Brownlee retired from the Army in 1984 at the rank of Colonel after commanding a mechanized infantry battalion in Europe from 1975-77, graduating from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA, and serving as the Executive officer for Undersecretary of the Army James Ambrose.

In 1984, Mr. Brownlee joined the office of the late Sen. John Warner as his National Security Advisor. From 1987 to 1996, he served as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Committee on Armed Services and later served as the Committee's Staff Director.

In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Mr. Brownlee to serve as the Undersecretary of the Army, and Mr. Brownlee became the Acting Secretary of Army in 2003 when the nation was fighting wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He loved being with soldiers and understood them as well as anyone. The following was reported in Government Executive Magazine, April 15, 2004, about his service at the Pentagon.

On Christmas Eve 2001, Undersecretary of the Army Les Brownlee took an Air Force C-130 transport plane to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where about 200 soldiers were battling al Qaeda and the terrorist organization's Taliban sponsors. It was a dangerous flight. To reduce their chances of drawing enemy fire, the pilots landed at night, with their lights extinguished. Brownlee spent the evening and following day meeting with soldiers, listening to their experiences and offering encouragement and praise for their service. He had been in office less than two months when he made the Christmas visit, but it established a pattern. With little fanfare and no press attention, Brownlee has spent every holiday since then in the field with soldiers.

In addition to his outstanding career achievements, Mr. Brownlee loved his family, and always made them a priority. He cherished his children and was a loving and devoted grandfather. He was a great storyteller, and his laugh was infectious.

After many decades of loyal service to his country, Mr. Brownlee devoted himself to being a dependable and loyal friend to those around him. He enjoyed traveling and was an avid reader. His weekends were typically spent cheering on the Dallas Cowboys and the Alabama Crimson Tide. He was always up for a late-night movie or a documentary on the History Channel. He enjoyed spending many summer days on the lake with his family. To his granddaughters, he was "Pop-Pop" and he was present for every school play, musical, and ballet recital, often with red, white, and blue flower bouquets in-hand. His legacy will live on in the lives of everyone he impacted.

Les Brownlee was survived by his daughter, Tracy Brownlee Carney (Clay), of Falls Church, VA, son, John L. Brownlee (Lee Ann) of Great Falls, VA, a sister, Kay L. Peek (Buster) of San Angelo, TX, 3 granddaughters, Kyla M. Carney, Thompson A. Brownlee and Cate H. Brownlee, his former wife, Nancy L. Hoyler (Robert) of Fairfax Station, VA, his nephew Joel A. Fink, Jr. (Laura) of Midland, TX, nieces Sally Sloane Peek of San Angelo, TX, and Sarah Entzminger (Jason) of San Angelo, TX, and a host of other family and friends who loved him dearly.

A Celebration of Life service will take place on Saturday, June 4 at 11 am at Annandale United Methodist Church. A funeral service and burial will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. Tributes in lieu of flowers may be sent to Blue Star Families at bluestarfam.org.

There will be a luncheon reception at Patton Hall, 214 Jackson Ave, Fort Myer, VA 22211, immediately following his funeral.