The Peru Gazette

Doug Brown and a P-38 Recon Aircraft

By John T. Ryan

June 9 – Many people know Doug Brown as the man who operated Peru Hardware for 40 years (1946-1985).  Like most World War II veterans, Doug didn’t talked to many people about his war experiences and like most of those veterans he had never visited the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. Yesterday, thanks to the Honor Flight Program, Doug Brown and fifteen other local World War II veterans flew to our nation’s capital to view the World War II Memorial, the Iwo Jima Monument and Arlington Cemetery.  Doug’s daughter Gail Moore accompanied him on the trip.

Doug Brown and his daughter Gail Moore

Brown entered military service in 1942. He served in the 33^rd Photo Reconnaissance Squadron attached to the 9^th Air Force. He was a corporal in the engineering unit, working on the P-38 aircraft.  The planes were unarmed and flew missions to take photos before and after bombing missions. The 33^rd Photo Recon Squadron carried out the biggest photo recon mission of the 9^th Air Force in World War II. The unit was always on the move, following the changing positions on the front line.  Brown served in England, France, Belgium and Germany. He was discharged in 1945.

Brown vividly recalls his military service.  He said, “I enjoyed working on airplanes, but I’ll never forget how cold it was sleeping in a tent in the wintertime in Belgium.” While his squadron usually set operations at a captured base a few miles behind the front lines, things could get dangerous. Brown recalled, “One day a German jet flew over us. It was so low we could easily see a swastika painted on the side.” Brown’s unit followed the Allied troops into Paris and he vividly recalls visiting the Buchenwald concentrate camp in Germany about a week after it was liberated.

Doug Brown and his wife Helen reside on the River Road in Peru.  He’s 92 years age now, but still maintains his home and mows its big lawn. Last week he rejoined his golfing friends for another summer of league play.