The Vietnam Center and Archive: Finding Aid

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Individual Collection
Location: Individual Collections-B; Museum Objects

Photocopies of newspaper articles, correspondence, Texas Tech Army ROTC News (1962 - 1974), medals, an oil painting, and a framed photograph document Gerald A. Brown's life from his days in ROTC at Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) to his death in Vietnam in 1967.

Captain Gerald A Brown, a native of Ft. Worth, Texas, was named one of the nation's top ten Army ROTC cadets during his senior year at Texas Tech in 1963. After receiving his commission upon graduation, he served two years in Germany. In 1966, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam. While stationed in Vietnam, he became known as the 'Kool-Aid Kid' because he asked his mother and friends to send him Kool-Aid and other items that he could pass out to the children of Vietnam. His request received a lot of publicity in Ft. Worth and Lubbock. Soon, many of the residents in those cities began sending him supplies. Brown was killed in action on May 16, 1967, three weeks before his tour of duty in Vietnam was to finish.

Location	Box	Folder	Contents
Individual B		1	Photocopied correspondence (1961 - 1974 and undated)
			Military Ball invitations (April 27, 1962 and May 4, 1963)
			Photocopied photographs from the Ball
			Photocopies of The Texas Tech Army ROTC News (Vol. 2 Nos. 3, 5 and 6) (December 17, 1962 - March 18, 1963)
			Photocopy of the Dean's Honor List for the School of Agriculture presented to Gerald Brown (Fall 1962)
			Photocopy of Association of the United States Army Membership Certificate
			Photocopy of the funeral service program for Gerald Brown (May 26, 1967)
		2	Photocopies of newspaper articles (1967 and undated)

Museum Objects:	Army Commendation Medal.
	United States Army Association Medal.
	Bronze Star.
	Silver Star.
	Purplr Heart.
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star (2 medals).
	Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Leaf (2 medals).
	Vietnam National Order, Fifth Class (2 medals).
	Framed oil portrait of Captain Gerald Brown by H. Pierce Day.
	Framed photograph of Captain Gerald Brown.

Portions of this collection have been digitized. Use the links below to view these items.

Please note that all items may be available through these searches. Additionally, only up to 500 items will be displayed.

To search for items within this collection, or within all of the holdings of the Vietnam Archive, go to the Virtual Vietnam Archive