Veteran and Deputy Craig Brown will be recognized at the Dillon County Patriot Day ceremony on Wednesday. The ceremony will take place at the Dillon County Courthouse at 9 a.m.
Craig Brown enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1970 and served until 1974. He was on the USS Nathaniel Greene. He was a quartermaster of navigation of the submarine (boat). His secondary job was firearms expert. Some of Craig’s other duties were signalman (Morse Code with a flashlight), radar operator, diver, damage control officer, and firefighter. He went on six patrols, each patrol was 3 months without surfacing. Towards the end of his time of enlistment, Craig received a promotion to Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class and Submariner.
Craig loves to tell stories. On the last patrol, Craig said they almost hit a mountain due to an inexperienced navigator, but Craig discovered the underwater mountain and missed it by a few feet. Of course, fatigue could have played a role in this as everyone had worked 12 hours/off 6 hours for many days.
Craig also recalled that the Russians made things interesting at least twice on patrol. He said it was definitely not a “Cold War.”
By the time Craig was 22, he had probably seen and done more than most people had in a lifetime.
After leaving the Navy, Craig served on the Dillon Police Department for 10 years.
Craig recalls that after joining the police department, he had to have a chest x-ray. He went to the health department, and Mrs. Virginia Martin was there. Craig asked Mrs. Martin, “Did you sleep at night knowing that I was in charge of a $3 and half billion dollar sub with over 200 weapons more powerful than the one dropped in Japan?” She stated, “Craig, I couldn’t sleep at night knowing that you would be in school the next day.”
He later served on the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office for 10 years, and was a Private Eye for 25 years. He returned to the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office four years ago.
During the Vietnam Crisis, four members of Craig’s family served in the military–Stephen L. Brown (Navy-destroyer), Elaine Brown (Air Force-Nurse), and Major Walter L. Brown, III (Marines), who was shot down twice and decorated many times.
Brown is married to Peggy Sue Carter Brown and has two daughters, Maegan B. Kittrell and Rebecca B. Lee, all of Rock Hill. He has four grandchildren, Claire Kittrell, winner of Little Miss SC; Maelyn Kittrell, Colton Craig Lee, and Everette Jackson Lee.
See related article:
https://dillonnews.org/annual-patriot-day-program-set-for-9-11/
