Guest of Honor: Roy Brown JR

In years without Covid restrictions, our Veterans Week celebrations on Dataw Island are even more robust, and include such activities as the Flag Brigade, Guest Bartenders, a Veterans March & Rally, and a Veterans Breakfast and Veterans Lunch. 

This year's guest of honor is unable to speak in person, and instead produced this wonderful video to share with us his passion for helping veterans. Based locally in Ridgeland, SC, I present to you a special gentleman, Roy Brown, Jr. (AKA "JR"). 

Be sure to read through to the bottom to watch the video!

This morning, Roy Brown, Jr. ("JR") was honored at a "opening ceremony" ahead of the Veterans Golf Classic, held outside the Dataw Island Clubhouse. Intended as an "invite only" event (no Veterans March and Rally this year) to keep social distancing, a handful of members who enjoy this tradition annually couldn't help but stand in salute as three flags were raised: the SC state flag, a Tee It Up for the Troops Flag, and Old Glory, our American flag. 

Phil Marshall then read the Governor's Proclamation that Dataw Island earned naming yesterday "Tee It Up for the Troops Day" throughout South Carolina. He then introduced our guest of honor, Roy Brown (Honor Guard), and Steve Giammona (adaptive athlete trainer) who hit the ceremonial first tee shot. Col. Glenn Blackburn surprised Giammona with the Soaring Eagle award for his continued dedication and service. Dawn Schuster was then invited to come forward, and she presented Brown with the Quilt of Valor. 

What a morning! Despite the need to keep a distance and/or wear a mask, our veterans and our members cannot be shaken. In the words of  Col. Blackburn, "We can never do enough for our returning combat wounded and disabled veterans who continue to face physical and mental challenges transitioning back to civilian life. Thank you to the residents of Dataw Island for their generous donations and support of the TIUFTT mission-your random act of kindness will make a big difference-HOOAH!"

Thank you for your service and support of wounded and disabled veterans. 

Roy Brown JR, Bio

Like all Americans, 9/11 shook JR to the core with the images of our country under attack. He was working two hours north of NYC when the world as we knew it was changed forever. Two months later he shipped out to Parris Island for bootcamp, just as his grandfather and uncle did before him. In 2002, JR was one of two Marines selected out of his Military Police class to attend the Military Working Dog (MWD) Canine Handlers Course in San Antonio, TX. This is where his love for dogs was created. In 2003, he deployed with a drug detection MWD to the El Paso, TX border region in support of US Customs and Border Protection’s drug interdiction mission. During this mission he found approximately $2,000,000 worth of narcotics. In 2004, JR deployed with an explosive detection MWD in support of 1st Battalion 2nd Marines and the 155th Mississippi National Guard in and around Iskandariya, Iraq. With the help of his MWD Benny, they found numerous IEDs, VBIEDs, suicide vests and weapons caches.

After completing his enlistment in 2005, JR returned home only to redeployed to Iraq, like many combat Veterans, as a contractor in support of the US Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of High Threat Protection, protecting US Diplomats until he was injured in a training accident in late 2007. JR then attended Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Business under the Post 9/11 GI Bill and served an internship with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle of New York’s 25th congressional district. During this internship JR developed his passion for giving back to the Veteran community. That and JR’s passion for dogs propelled him to bringing in like-minded individuals from the local business community to create Operation Patriots FOB. This organization has been a long-time dream of JR’s, as his true passion lies with helping Veterans at home to move onto their next chapter of life.

JR is married to Stephanie Brown and has two daughters, Isabella and Elliana. He enjoys including his girls in his outdoor passions.

Click through below to watch the 6-minute video presentation about how he is serving fellow veterans. 

Laura McCarthy
Dir. of Marketing & Communications
[email protected]
(843)379-3056