Life Is A Highway: A Professional Engineer From The Class Of ’65 Reflects On Combat, Construction, And Community

Kent Brown was born in February 1943 and grew up in Pocatello, Idaho, the eldest of seven children. They lived in a farming community until moving to Boise when Kent was in high school. His father worked for the US Department of Agriculture during World War II, holding a civilian job that was important for wartime service. His mother was a teacher whose her father had been a state legislator, and a great uncle on his mom’s side graduated from West Point in 1927. As a boy, Kent began working at age 9, earning money to purchase treats. He always wanted to be an engineer and as a child he played with a model road grader. As a Boy Scout he achieved the rank of Eagle, and his Scout Leader, George Sellers, was among the most influential people in Kent’s life. Kent enjoyed school and was a state champion debater, meeting his wife, Sherry, on the debate team. Attending Boy’s State, he talked with a West Point Cadet who introduced him to the idea of attending the Military Academy. Coming from a large family, Kent knew he would have to pay for his education, and West Point seemed like a good alternative. He started Beast Barracks as a strong and wiry but puny 5’6” and 117-pound Cadet. He was in the runt company and was put on tables to gain weight (he gained 6 lbs. over Beast). He remembers being in a room with Ron Floto and Billy Mitchell, and having a cleaning fluid fire in their barracks room during Beast. He did well academically (except in French class), militarily, and physically, and was active in a variety of sports. He was on the debate team all four years and was the president of Debate Council and Forum as a Firstie. He was on a debate trip on an Army aircraft when President Kennedy was assassinated and, as a result, the debate tournament was cancelled. He remembers the funeral parade and the pouring rain. He recalls starting to study the war in Vietnam as a plebe and reading Bernard Fall’s “Street Without Joy.” He commissioned as an Engineer, and a mentor recommended he volunteer for Korea because he’d get to command a company. During this period, Lieutenants were sent directly to their units after Airborne and Ranger school without the benefit of attending a basic course. The lack of a basic course hurt Engineers and Signaleers in particular because their branches required special technical expertise, and Lieutenants had to learn “on the job.” Deploying to Korea, he commanded a company in the 802nd Engineer Construction Battalion. He had an asphalt section and built a taxiway rated for F-4 Phantoms employing Korean nationals and KATUSAs. Later he built a bridge and cut a road into a national park, learning that “you can’t build roads in the rainy season.” While in Korea, his correspondence with Sherry became more serious, and they were married in August 1967. Returning from Korea, he commanded a second company in the 7th Engineer Battalion in the 5th Infantry Division from 1967 to 1968. In that company, he had two types of Soldiers, those returning from Vietnam and brand-new troops. He also had double the number of Lieutenants who were there to gain experience before deploying to Vietnam. As a result, they were in the field a lot. In 1968, he attended the Engineer School and found it very important to understanding the theory behind his branch. He enjoyed the classes on soils. In 1969 he deployed to Vietnam, where he was a highway engineer in Bien Hoa, responsible for 1200 miles of road and in charge of port construction in Vung Tau. When he arrived in Vung Tau, he found the unit combat-ineffective and was charged with fixing it. He had a quarry detachment, a dump truck company, and three pile driver platoons. In that company, he was able to dive frequently to assess the work his engineers were conducting. He reflects on MacNamara’s “Project 100,000” and its impact in Vietnam. Returning from Vietnam, he attended Stanford University, earning a master’s degree in economics in 1972 before reporting to the Department of Social Sciences, where he taught from 1972 to 1975. While at Stanford, he experienced riots, strikes, and protests against the Vietnam War. He describes the atmosphere of the Sosh Department and some of the faculty he worked with, including Donne Olvey, Jack Jacobs, and Dan Christman. At West Point, he taught economics and American government, and remained active coaching the Debate Team. Following the Command and General Staff College, he was stationed in Europe, where he commanded the 567th Engineer Company (Atomic Demolition Munitions) from 1976 to 1977. Earlier, when President Eisenhower reduced forces in Europe, tactical atomic munitions were considered a cost-effective alternative to high troop numbers and they remained in the inventory. Targets for Kent’s company included bridges and autobahn interchanges. He considered his Soldiers “incredible,” which they had to be in the high-stakes world of atomic munitions. At one point, he was called in front of General Donn Starry who questioned him about issues with atomic munitions, and Kent’s solution was to start an ADM School in Germany. His next assignment in Hanau was as the Executive Officer of the 559th Engineer Battalion from 1978 to 1979. When the Army developed the AirLand Battle Doctrine, Kent helped rewrite the war plans for Corps Commander Syd Berry. In 1980, he commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Basic Training Brigade at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. During this period, recruitment was difficult, and Kent felt that “we were getting the dregs.” Max Thurmond dictated that a minimum requirement to enter the Army was a high school diploma. After attending the Army War College, Kent was assigned to the Pentagon, working in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, where he again worked on Doctrine. In 1985, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Engineers and later served as the Deputy Director of Civil Works. In 1986, he became the District Engineer in the New Orleans Engineer District and in 1987 faced historic low water in New Orleans, where he learned about Louisiana politics. Next, he returned to the Pentagon for assignment in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army and the Office of the J7. He compares the personalities of Colin Powell and Dick Cheney. In 1991, he retired as a Colonel, but did not stop working. He became the Head Engineer for the Ada County Highway District from 1991 to 2008 and planned a major highway expansion in the area. His son graduated from the Air Force Academy and also retired as a Colonel. Currently, he is a DAV Volunteer Driver and works on his local Planning and Zoning Committee. At the end of the interview, he describes what his service and West Point mean to him.