Bruce K. Brown

bruce brown
Lieutenant General Bruce K. Brown USAF Ret., 88, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2019 in Potomac Falls, VA after a brief and courageous fight with cancer. He was born on November 16, 1930 in St. Paul, MN where he grew up until the age of 14 when his family moved to Albuquerque, NM and then to Lubbock, TX. He was the eldest of seven sons born to Louis and Dorothy Brown.

Bruce and his wife of 67 years, Claudyne, met as sophomores at Lubbock High School and were married in 1952 after his graduation from the United States Naval Academy. Bruce entered the Naval Academy to serve aboard submarines but was seduced by the N3N, a training biplane, into a commission into the U.S. Air Force and 33 years of military aviation.

He began his military career as a fighter pilot, having received his wings in August 1953 and flew F-86’s out of McGuire AFB, NJ and F-102’s out of Hahn AFB, Germany. From there he was assigned to the Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, CO and afterward attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk VA. After assignments at the Pentagon in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, he earned a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University while attending the National War College. He subsequently served a tour of duty in Vietnam as the deputy commander of operations of the Special Operations Wing at Phan Rang Air Base and flying 400+ special ops combat missions in “The Shadow” and “Puff the Magic Dragon/Spooky”.

Bruce was then assigned as vice-commander and then commander of the 97th Bombardment Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, AR and then commander of the 416th Bombardment Wing, Griffiss Air Force Base, NY. He, thereafter, returned to the Pentagon as deputy assistant chief of staff for studies and analysis and then deputy director for operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He served as commander of the 14th Aerospace Force; assistant deputy chief of staff for operations, North American Air Defense Command, and deputy chief of staff for operations, Aerospace Defense Command; deputy chief of staff for operations, North American Air Defense Command, Aerospace Defense Command and Air Defense Center; vice commander in chief, North American Aerospace Center; and, the first vice commander of the then newly established created Space Command. His last assignment was as Commander of the Alaskan Air Command which at the time was one of the Air Force’s major commands. KAL 007 was shot down his first day on the job and an intercept and first recorded video of a Soviet Bear H Bomber occurred on his last.

He was a command pilot and decorated aerial combatant with more than 5,000 flying hours. He also wore the Master Space Badge.

After his Air Force retirement, Bruce continued to serve his country through his work on the Strategic Defense Initiative, his work with the Institute for Defense Analysis, his employment by the Department of Defense, as Deputy Chief Information Officer, his participation in various scientific boards and as a member of the Warlord Loop. By the time of Bruce’s retirement from fulltime work in 2015 at the age of 85 he had completed over sixty years in the service of his country.

As a father he taught by example and through the many “lectures” he dispensed over the years. But he also taught immense lessons with little “Dad-isms” he sprinkled like fairy dust, including among many, many others: “Manage your regrets”; “Hope is not a plan”; “Words matter”; “Don’t let your head get in the way of your belly”; “Sometimes pleasure is the absence of pain”; “When all else fails, read the instructions”; and, the ubiquitous “Don’t make your problem, my problem”.

He didn’t demand excellence, he just expected it. His wise counsel and advice was a gift he bestowed upon many and will be greatly missed, but not as much as his engaging personality, witticisms and humor, a trait he successfully passed along to his children and grandchildren – it’s too early to tell about the great-grands. He truly was the smartest person in the room….at least when his audience was his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Vince, Leo and Tom, and his beloved daughter Elizabeth. He is survived by his wife Claudyne of Potomac Falls, VA, sons Brickford Brown (Jennifer) of Midlothian, VA, Brooks Louis Brown (Deborah) of San Antonio, TX and daughter DeLayne Wellen (Mark) of Midland, TX.; grandchildren, Trevor Brown, Taylor Brown, Trent Brown; Erin Kidwell (Zach), Blair Porter (John) and Emma Wellen; five (and a half) great-grandchildren; and brothers John (Kay) of Lubbock, TX, Mike (Pat) of Scottsdale, AZ and Tim (Pam) of Lubbock, TX.

A memorial service will take place on Thursday, September 12th at 11:00am at the Church of the Holy Comforter, Vienna, VA. Visitation is scheduled Wednesday, September 11th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Money & King Funeral Home, Vienna, VA. His remains will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the: Elizabeth C Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund, Texas Tech University or a charity of one’s choice.

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  1. Claudyne & family: My thoughts are with you throughout this time of loss. What a wonderful life Bruce lived, and what a remarkable legacy he leaves behind. You were blessed with 67 years and his absence will leave a void in your lives, but I pray that your “memories” of your life together will carry you through until you are reunited in Heaven. May God bring you “peace” in the days ahead. Love, Barbara (cousin, Lubbock Texas)

  2. Loved this man so very much! I was blessed to get to visit with him this summer. He will be missed greatly and will be remembered often.

  3. I had the utmost respect and admiration for this wonderful man. Always will. Can still hear the banter between Bruce and his brothers from the few times I was fortunate enough to be around them. Great memories for sure. One thing is for certain: There will never be another Bruce or a another group of brothers like the Browns. God bless them all. Jim and Lorrie Black

  4. In memory of Lieutenant General Bruce K Brown who, as the officer in charge of NORAD Colorado, saved the world from World War III on November 09, 1979

  5. In memory of Lieutenant General Bruce K Brown who, as the officer in charge of NORAD Colorado, saved the world from World War III on November 09, 1979

  6. Lt Gen Bruce Brown was my Dads commander while Gen Brown was the commander of 14th Aerospace Force. Later when Lt Gen Brown was the AAC Commander, he became my boss. Years later I was able to get all three of us together for lunch at the Peterson club with his wife Claudyne. Small world. – Respectfully, Rollan Yocum, USAF, Ret.

  7. This breaks my heart that one of my most respected and notable cousins has past and that our Families with our own problems and issues don’t realize the passing of someone as honorable as Lt Gen Bruce Brown

  8. Dear Relatives of World Savior Bruce Kilroy Brown, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to you! Your relative saved the world from nuclear war on Nov. 9, 1979, as a duty officer from NORAD, by acting prudently and classifying the Soviet missile attack as a false alarm. Please help me with a release of photos of Bruce Kilroy Brown for lectures. Could you help me with this? Thank you very much. Uwe Werner Schierhorn uschierhorn@t-online.de


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