Political Quotes

“Madam President, I wish to commemorate the life of retired Navy LCDR Wesley Anthony Brown, who passed away on May 22, 2012, at the age of 85. Lieutenant Commander Brown was the sixth African American to attend and first to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, where he excelled as a notable student and athlete. Lieutenant Commander Brown went on to have a distinguished career in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps and retired in 1969 after serving 20 years. Lieutenant Commander Brown is survived by his wife, Crystal Brown; two daughters, Wiletta Scott and Carol Jackson; two sons, Wesley Jr., and Gary; and seven grandchildren. I would like to take a moment to remember his life and what his accomplishments meant not just for the African American midshipmen who followed him at the Naval Academy, but also for our military and for our Nation. Lieutenant Commander Brown was born on April 3, 1927 in Baltimore, MD. He was the only child of William and Rosetta Brown. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Dunbar High School, where he showed strong proficiency for math and a profound interest in the Navy. In fact, he worked on afternoons and evenings as a junior clerk for the Navy and during his senior year in high school he served as the Cadet Corps Battalion Commander. He later wrote an article in the Saturday Evening Post: ``I've been thinking about the Navy since I was about 8 or 10 since the time I pinned the photograph of the old USS Lexington on my bedroom wall.…”