Melvin L. Brown

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Bio

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Melvin served as a Private First Class in the United States Army in Company D, 8th Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on September 4, 1950, at Kasan, Korea. Melvin was killed in action.

Melvin L. Brown was born on February 2, 1931, and grew up in Mahaffey, Pennsylvania. He was stationed in Japan for eighteen months before being deployed to Korea in late July 1950, during the early weeks of the war.

His Medal of Honor citation reads in part: “Taking a position on a 50-foot-high wall, he delivered heavy rifle fire on the enemy. His ammunition was soon expended and, although wounded, he remained at his post and threw his few grenades into the attackers, causing many casualties. When his supply of grenades was exhausted, his comrades from nearby foxholes tossed others to him, and he left his position, braving a hail of fire, to retrieve and throw them at the enemy. The attackers continued to assault his position and Pfc. Brown, weaponless, drew his entrenching tool from his pack and calmly waited until they, one by one, peered over the wall, delivering each a crushing blow upon the head. Knocking 10 or 12 enemy from the wall, his daring action so inspired his platoon that they repelled the attack and held their position.”

He was initially reported missing in action and was later officially declared killed in action on September 5, 1950, at just 19 years old.

In honor of his bravery and sacrifice, Mahaffey celebrated the first “Pfc. Melvin L. Brown Day” on June 21, 2008. On that day, a bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River was officially renamed the “PFC Melvin L. Brown Memorial Bridge,” and a monument honoring Brown was dedicated in front of the Community Volunteer Fire Company hall. The tradition continued with a second annual Melvin Brown Day in June 2009.