Fort Bliss honors life, legacy of retired Command Sergeant Major Curtis Lee Brown
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Monday, the 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss and family honored El Paso community leader and retired Command Sergeant Major Curtis Lee Brown. He died at the age of 101.
Brown made history in 1960 as one of the first African Americans promoted to Command Sergeant Major in the Army, according to Fort Bliss.
He had a 32-year military career that started in 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to his obituary.
His service spanned from the Berlin Airlift, leading more than 10,000 personnel at the 94th Air and Missile Command to developing a curriculum for the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss.
After retiring in 1975, Brown continued his role as a civic leader in El Paso for more than 50 years, Fort Bliss said. He started a second career at Casa Ford, where he later became the general sales manager.
Originally from Dierks, Arkansas, Brown made his mark in the Sun City in many different ways. At 99 years old, he worked on Mayor Renard Johnson's mayoral campaign.
Brown also put time into several organizations in El Paso, including the city's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
"He was always about leadership," retired Army Command Sergeant Major Reggie Daniel said. "He loved his country. He loved his people, and he definitely loved his family."
Brown's obituary noted his love for baseball. In 1949, he tried out for the Chicago Cubs and made the team.
"I told the manager of the Cubs that I just wanted to see if I could make the team — I really wanted to be a soldier," Brown said.
Daniel said Brown loved the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his last moments, he received merchandise from the team's manager.
"He was always about leadership. And he loved his country. He loved his people, and he definitely loved his family."
Daniel met Brown at one of his birthdays. His high energy and "fired-up" personality stuck with Daniel the most.
"He just talked to me just like we had known each other for years," he said.
Daniel said one of Brown's last words to him were that he wished they served in the military together.
"I told him, 'We did,'" Daniel said. "Because you were my mentor, and you led the way."
