About Harry W. Brown (pilot)
Harry Winston Brown (May 19, 1921 – October 7, 1991) was an Army Air Corps second lieutenant assigned to the 47th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field on the island of Oahu during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. He was one of the five American pilots to score victories that day. Brown was awarded a Silver Star for his actions, and was the first Texan decorated for valor in the war. By the war's end, he was a flying ace. == Early life == Brown was born in Amarillo, Texas, and entered the Army Air Corps in September 1940. He was commissioned at Kelly Field, Texas on August 15, 1941, and was immediately assigned to the 47th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field, Hawaii. == World War II == === Attack on Pearl Harbor === Brown and another pilot, Johnny Dains, watched as the first wave of Japanese planes flew over. Quickly they decided to head for Haleiwa Field, assuming that the raiders had missed that auxiliary field. They took Brown's car and picked up Lt. Bob Rogers along the way, dodging a Japanese pilot intent on strafing the convertible.
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