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Note: I remember my grandfather Rex telling me how he and his family came to Oklahoma in the 1920s on a covered wagon.
According to the 1940 census he was 19, living with his parents, and working in the CCC as a "cement finisher" and had a 5th grade education. The most educated person in his home was his mother who had a 6th grade education. His father never attended school.
According to his Army Separation Record, he had a 6th grade education and last attended school in 1938 in Liberty, OK.
According to his CCC Record of Service and Honorable Discharge papers, he joined the CCC on 08 JAN 1940, He served until 22 JAN 1940 under the War Department for Training and Conditioning enroute to his service destination of Palisade, CO. He then worked for CCC under the Interior Department until 30 JUN 1940. First, he was at Palisade, CO as aTruck Driver and on Ditch Construction. He was in CCC Company 3893 with serial number CCC-3893015. He was honorably discharged form camp BR59-C and paid $32.00 and given bus fare back to Wagoner, OK. According to CCC records, Company 3893 served at camp BR61-C (Vallecito, CO) beginning 24 April 1940.
He was drafted into the Army during WW2, serving from 17 AUG 1942 through 14 OCT 1945 when he was discharged at Fort Chafee, AR at the grade of T-5 (essentially a specialist with corporal rank, often called a "Technical Corporal). His Serial # 38-189-720. He served in Pomona, CA; Oregon City, UT; Ft. Sam Houston, TX; Oakland, CA; Ft. Sill, OK; Abilene, TX, Little Rock, AR; Australia, and New Guinea. He was honorably discharged on 14 October 1945 with the rank of Tech-5 from Camp Chaffee, AR. His last posting was with 13th General Hospital. His MOS was 345, Truck Driver, Light. He recieved a Good Conduct Medal, Asia-Pacific Service Ribbon, and a Bronze Service Star.
After the war, he farmed in OK and CA. He moved back to OK where he drove a truck for C. E. Natco (Combustion Engineering) a Tulsa, OK oil field supply company (the company closed its Tulsa plant in April 1984). He had a heart attack at age 50, and quit driving trucks working as the gatekeeper instead. He had another heart attack at age 55, forcing him to retire.
In MAY 1980 he had an accident while cleaning his shotgun. He had set the gun on a little table near his telephone, and he turned to go get his cleaning supplies when the gun started to tip. He reached for it, but it hit the floor and discharged, destroying the left side of his face, including his jawbone.
He raised rabbits and goats and he always had a big garden which he shared with his family and friends. He died of a heart attack in his barn with a hoe still in his hand after having picked a bucket of green grass to feed to his rabbits.
SSN: 447-12-9881
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U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Rex V Brown
Birth Year: 1920
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Arkansas
State of Residence: Oklahoma
County or City: Wagoner
Enlistment Date: 17 Aug 1942
Enlistment State: Oklahoma
Enlistment City: Tulsa
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: Grammar school
Civil Occupation: General farmers
Marital Status: Married
Height: 68
Weight: 153
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