On June 6, 2017, the museum hosted a special ceremony to honor the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. One of the guests who participated in the ceremony was Jeweldeen “Deen” Brown, who served aboard USS Trout (SS 202). While the Trout did not play a major role in the battle itself, she did pick up a few Japanese sailors who were taken to Pearl Harbor to be questioned. Despite its small role in the battle, Brown’s story, along with others, creates a fuller picture of the war. Deen and a few others from the area make it out to events at the museum when they can. It is a great privilege to be able to sit down with these men and hear their stories and relive the past.
Jeweldeen “Deen” Brown knew he wanted to be a submariner from almost the beginning of his Navy career despite starting as a surface sailor. Selected for Radio school, his first introduction to the submarine force was through its food, which is probably no surprise to any submariner. While awaiting transport to Pearl Harbor in San Diego, he found that the best food could be found on the S-Class subs. Having some contacts with friends from radio school, he would go down and eat, and quickly his interests in submarines grew. In a book by Stephen Leal Jackson about the men of WWII, Deen was quoted as saying, “I was rather intrigued with the complexity, and I was somewhat awed that these guys could learn to operate that thing…. You know, instruments everywhere, all of that, of course was mysterious to me. And so, I was somewhat awed by that and thought… just to learn how to operate this thing would be an education
Gold being offloaded from USS Trout. Brown helped unload the Philippine gold before being able to join the crew. March 1942. Image courtesy of Submarine Force Museum and Library.
in itself.”[1] A week after the attack at Pearl Harbor, Deen was sent to Hawaii to his assignment on the surface ship USS Nevada. When he arrived, just like many others, he found confusion, sadness, and horror. The Nevada was the first ship Brown saw as he entered the harbor. It was aground and not going anywhere anytime soon. While in Pearl, Deen convinced the officer in charge to let him go work at the submarine base. From then, Deen worked hard and learned quickly until he found himself a spot on an active Submarine. While working for a support tender named the USS Pelias, Brown was able to strike a deal with the Executive Office of the Trout and make his way on the crew. He was given six months to qualify despite having never been to the submarine school in Groton. Brown qualified in four months. Brown’s first war patrol saw the Trout participate in the Doolittle Raid. While an aircraft mission, the Trout was stationed at the mouth of the Kobe harbor to keep watch on the Japanese’s fleet. If the fleet began to leave, that would signal that the mission had been compromised and the crew report it. Brown may very well have been the first to realize that the bombing had been a success. While monitoring the Tokyo radio broadcast, he realized that it went off air suddenly. Once he was informed of the bombing, he knew the raid had been successful. His second war patrol saw the decisive Battle of Midway which was credited as the turning point in the war. In all, Brown served nine war patrols. Retiring after twenty-two years, he had been promoted to the Master Chief rate, becoming one of the first navy Chiefs and the only radioman chief in the Atlantic submarine force. After his navy retirement, like many in the area, he continued to work twenty-four more years at Electric Boat. He is quoted as saying, “Submarine guys had something real to do. Meaningful. And that’s what meant a lot to me; I wanted to do something meaningful and real. Never mind the spit and the polish.” [2]
Deen Brown can be found walking the halls of the museum from time to time. With a smile on his face, he usually tells the girls in the museum store not to work too hard. They talk with him a bit and they learn some new tidbits about the war. On the day of the Battle of Midway ceremony, Brown was there with his usual smile and sweet demeanor, happy to participate and share his story. Just like most of the veterans who walk through these doors, he wants the submarine legacy to endure, both for those outside the service and for those who currently serve. Many sailors who came to the ceremony that day took the time to stop and shake his hand. They wanted to share their gratitude for his service and he thanked them for theirs. Last year during a book signing for “The
Naval Base New London Commanding Officer Captain Paul Whitescarver and Master Chief Deen Brown place a wreath in remembrance of those lost in The Battle of Midway on June 6, 2017 at the Submarine Force Museum. Image courtesy of The Day
Men”, Stephen Jackson had some of the men featured in the book come along for a presentation. Of course, Deen came. He had been involved in the planning process of the book signing. He said hello to lecture goers and alongside Jackson, signed copies of the book which featured his profile along with others. Deen Brown’s story is like many from the WWII era. Ready and eager to go and fight for what he believed in, Brown chose the road less traveled at a time when living on a submarine for two months was compared to living in a basement. We thank him for that choice and eagerly await the next story he chooses to share.
[1] Jackson, Stephan Leal. The Men. (Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing, 2010) 94.
[2] Jackson, pg 105
