It could be said that a best friend of an airplane crew during WWII was the parachute packer/rigger. Lester “Claude” Brown, 97, of Lockney, Texas was one such person. Somewhere between 700 and 1200 soldiers died during WWII when their parachute didn’t deploy. Proper packing of a parachute is literally a matter of life or death. The 3-1/2 month training for packing and rigging took place at Chanute Field near Rantoul, Illinois. The job description for a Parachute Rigger and Repairman (620) was to “inspect the canopy, rigging, suspension lines, pack and harness of the chute each ten days and do any necessary repairs.”
Lester C. Brown was born on the farm near Muncy, Texas on April 2, 1921 to J.M. and Lee Brown. He had one brother and one sister, each died at age 52. His dad was a sign painter and sold insurance for a time. His parents divorced when he was quite young. His step-dad, Tomme, was a barber. Claude graduated from Lockney High School in May 1939. After graduation, he went to work at Band-Box Cleaners in Lubbock, Texas. He met Wilma Holcomb “at the dentist office in Tulia” and they were married on April 12, 1942. Claude and Wilma had barely settled into married life when he was drafted into the Army Air Corps on October 7, 1942. He took 6 weeks of basic training at Sheppard Field in Wichita Falls, Texas then on to Chanute Airfield for parachute packer training. He noted that he and a buddy “applied for jump school but were turned down.” His unit was assigned overseas training at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Claude recalled “rigid combat training – we marched up and down the boardwalk and our instructor made us sing before turning in for the night. One night we balked at the singing and he marched us until we started singing.” Next stop was New Orleans where his unit was shipped out to South America and then on to Puerto Rico for duty as an observation squadron. “My daughter Ann was born when I was on the way to Puerto Rico” noted Brown.
The 311th Troop Carrier Squadron was transferred from North Carolina to Hawaii in February 1945. While stationed in Hawaii, Claude found the parachutes to in a state of disarray. He said he “brought them up to date, got them in good working order and began inspecting them on the required schedule. I think it got me promoted to Sergeant.” He was also the manager of the local PX (Post Exchange). His squadron was assigned to Okinawa. While “on the water (the Pacific), the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” He said “there were still pockets of Japanese soldiers who didn’t believe the war was over and had to be rounded up.” Claude continued as a parachute packer and managed the PX as he had done in Hawaii. In the fall of 1945, Brown had accumulated enough points to be discharged. He was scheduled to fly out on a plane with other servicemen but “got bumped off the flight by someone else.” It’s a good thing he got bumped as the plane went missing between Okinawa and Iowa Jima and everyone on board were presumed killed. “I lost a lot of friends on that flight.”
He returned to California in the fall of 1945 and was discharged at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas on December 21, 1945. He noted that “his wife was very glad to see him.” Three weeks after his discharge, Claude opened his own dry cleaning shop in Lockney, Texas. He soon added men’s wear and later it became Brown’s Department store. He and his wife Wilma closed the store after 48 years of operation. They were happily married for 66 years until Wilma’s death in October 2008. They had two grandsons and four great grandchildren. Claude was very prominent in Lockney over the years including a 16 year stint as the town’s mayor. He belonged to numerous boards and was recognized for his many years of service. Claude’s daughter Ann accompanied him on the 2013 Texas South Plains Honor Flight. He was very proud to have helped lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Ann added that “Dad can hardly walk, but still goes dancing 2 to 3 times a week. The women line up to dance with him!”
Respectfully submitted by
Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liaison Co-Chair Texas South Plains Honor Flight
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