THE WALL OF FACES

I will never forget the good times at the Delt House at the University of Alabama. I will never forget your cheering at the football games. Those were the good old days! We did not realize what we were in for after those days were over. We will not forget you Bubba

LIEUTENANT

JOHN COOKE BREWTON


WAS A PLATOON OFFICER OF AN ELITE

UNITED STATES NAVY ' SEAL ' TEAM.

A HIGHLY PRINCIPLED MAN, HE WENT TO FIGHT

WITH HIS MEN AGAINST COMMUNIST FORCES IN

SOUTH VIETNAM. ON 24 NOVEMBER 1969

HE LED HIS PLATOON IN A FIERCE BATTLE AGAINST AN

OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF ENEMY TROOPS - AND HE

WAS PAINFULLY WOUNDED WITH BACK AND ARM INJURIES.

DESPITE HIS WOUNDS AND SUFFERING, HE CONTINUED TO

DIRECT HIS ' SEALS ' IN ACTION, REFUSING MEDICAL

TREATMENT UNTIL ALL OF HIS MEN WERE SAFELY REPOSITIONED.

THEN HE WAS STRUCK AND WOUNDED AGAIN, BUT STILL HE

REFUSED TO RELENT. HE WENT ON TO ATTAIN A FORWARD

VANTAGE POINT AND FROM THERE DIRECTED HELICOPTER

ATTACKS AGAINST THE ENEMY.

WHEN THE ACTION WAS OVER, LIEUTENANT (JG) BREWTON

WAS EVACUATED TO A FIELD HOSPITAL FOR CRITICALLY-NEEDED

TREATMENT, BUT HIS HEART COULD NOT OVERCOME THE WOUNDS

OF HIS BROKEN BODY AND HE SUCCUMBED ON 11 JANUARY 1970.

FOR HIS HEROIC ACTION HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY PROMOTED TO

LIEUTENANT AND WAS AWARDED THE SILVER STAR MEDAL FOR

"Valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit in the
face of grave enemy opposition and serious personal injuries."

HE ALSO WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE FOLLOWING :-

BRONZE STAR MEDAL with ' V ' and GOLD STAR

PURPLE HEART MEDAL with GOLD STAR

COMBAT ACTION RIBBON

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL with 3 BRONZE STARS

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
CROSS OF GALLANTRY with PALM

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDAL


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THERE WAS YET ANOTHER HONOR BESTOWED UPON THIS

DEDICATED ' SEAL '. THE UNITED STATES NAVY PROCEEDED

TO NAME A NEW FRIGATE AFTER HIM

- THE USS JOHN C. BREWTON ( DE-1086 ) -

IN THE TRADITION OF NAMING SHIPS AFTER

AMERICANS OF DISTINCTION.

THE BREWTON WAS BUILT BY THE

AVONDALE SHIPYARDS AT WESTWEGO, LOUISIANA.

HER KEEL WAS LAID DOWN ON 2 OCTOBER 1970 AND

SHE WAS LAUNCHED ON 24 JULY 1971.

SHE WAS SPONSORED BY MRS. ELMO ZUMWALT, JR.,

THE WIFE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS,

ADMIRAL ELMO R. ZUMWALT, JR.

THE USS BREWTON JOINED THE UNITED STATES FLEET

OFFICIALLY ON 8 JULY 1972 AT THE

LONG BEACH NAVAL STATION.

ADMIRAL ZUMWALT, THE CNO, WAS THE MAIN

SPEAKER AT AN EMOTIONAL CEREMONY.

HE SPOKE IN A POIGNANT MANNER AND FROM THE HEART,

FOR HE HAD PERSONALLY KNOWN LIEUTENANT BREWTON.

ON HAND TO WITNESS THE EVENT WAS MRS. ZUMWALT, THE

SPONSOR; FAMILY MEMBERS, MR. AND MRS. H.E. BREWTON, III;

NUMEROUS HIGH RANKING NAVY OFFICERS, AND CIVILIAN

DIGNATERIES FROM THE LONG BEACH COMMUNITY.

THERE WAS ALSO A YOUNG WOMAN ON HAND FOR THE

COMMISSIONING - MISS CHERYL KURIT, WHO HAD

BEEN ENGAGED TO MARRY LIEUTENANT BREWTON.

HER PARENTS WERE PRESENT, TOO.

LIEUTENANT JOHN COOKE BREWTON

WAS A PARAGON OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY ' SEALS ',

AND HE EMBODIED THEIR MOTTO:

" DEDICATED - DETERMINED - PREPARED "

HIS VALOR IN COMBAT IS AN ENDURING INSPIRATION

TO ALL AMERICANS. SUCH MEN NEVER DIE.

TODAY HIS SPIRIT REMAINS WITH THE FLEET ABOARD

THE MAN - O' - WAR THAT PROUDLY BEARS HIS NAME.




YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE