James Eric Brown laid to rest

FORT BRANCH - A helmet and a pair of empty combat boots were placed to the right of an American flag draped casket, as mourners quietly wept for a local Marine killed in battle.

Lance Cpl. James Brown, 20, of Owensville, was killed Nov. 2 in the Al Anbar Province, in Iraq.

On Thursday afternoon, friends, family, and current and former members of the military gathered in the Gibson Southern High School gym to pay their respects to the boy, the man and the soldier.

The Rev. Bob Douglas, grandfather of Brown's fiancee Jamie Coleman, officiated the funeral service and recalled meeting Brown when he started dating Coleman when they were both juniors in high school.

“As a football player and boxer, he was one of the best. As a Marine, he was one of the best, and I know as a husband, he would have been one of the best,” Douglas said.

Brown spoke to him often about joining the Marines, Douglas said, and his enthusiasm for the military was infectious.

“If I hadn't been 65, I'd gone down and enlisted,” Douglas said.

During the service, Douglas read a letter Brown's mother, Joanne Van Antwerp, wrote about her son after his death.

In the letter, Van Antwerp wrote that Brown was excited about being a Marine. Van Antwerp said her son had told her that if he was to die, he wanted her to stand tall for what he believed in.

Douglas also spoke of Brown's devoted religious life. He said Brown and Coleman regularly attended First General Baptist Church in Owensville, and he baptized Brown shortly before he left for Iraq.

“He's absent from his body and in the presence of the Lord,” Douglas said.

Ben Benjamin, a member of the Marine Corps League and VFW in Evansville, also spoke at the service about meeting Brown and his dedication to the military, even before he joined. Brown had spoken with him about joining the Marines, he said, and picked Benjamin's brain on the reality of war.

Benjamin said it is important to remember Brown died defending the United States.

“When it all comes down to it, what we have is our country, our beliefs, God and our way of life,” Benjamin said.

Chuck Allen, an assistant boxing coach at the Evansville Boxing Club, talked about Brown's time in the ring. He remembered taking Brown to his first boxing practice in Evansville, and said Brown was determined and worked hard to be the best.

“James lost his first fight, but he promised me he'd never lose again,” Allen said.

Brown won his first Golden Gloves tournament in Indianapolis in front of a crowd of about 1,500 people, Allen recalled, and later became a two-time Golden Gloves Champion.

Allen said during Brown's second campaign for the Golden Gloves, he had a hard time finding anyone in his weight class that would fight him, because they knew Brown would capitalize if they made the slightest mistake.

“He earned the respect of everyone he knew,” Allen said. “I wish I could say that about myself.”

Brown was a hero and inspiration to him, Allen said.

“I'm not worthy to tie James Brown's shoe laces,” he said.

Allen said even though Brown life was short, it wasn't a waste and encouraged those gathered to put aside their feelings about the war in Iraq and ponder the causes and American way of life Brown died trying to defend.

“You don't measure people's sacrifice by what you think about the war,” he said. “James had no control over that.”

Brown died trying to protect innocent civilians and America's freedom.

“He was risking his life so some of you didn't have to go,” Allen said.

Marlene Ashley with the American Legion Post 25, in Princeton, presented Brown's family with roses and gave Van Antwerp a plaque that read, “All gave some. Some gave all.”

After the service Brown was buried at the Saulmon Cemetery, in Poseyville. A long line of cars traveled from the high school to the cemetery on the Posey/Gibson border.

Brown was laid to rest next to his father, Edward Van Antwerp. A U.S. Marine rifle company performed military rites at the cemetery.

From the Clarion

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