Episode Details

There are many differences between our founder, Jesse Brown, and the Korean War hero, Jesse Brown.

Our Jesse was born in 1933 and lived a long life. He started Jesse Brown’s Backpacking Mountaineering Canoeing Kayaking in 1970. The store’s concept came from time spent in Manhattan visiting outdoor stores while he was employed as a corporate pilot for J.P. Stevens Textile Firm.

Two of Jesse’s passions were the outdoors and flying. One led to the other and we continue to promote the outdoor lifestyle through the brick-and-mortar outdoor store based in Charlotte, NC, and the website www.jessebrowns.com. The company also uses this format to focus on outdoors in the Carolinas with the Carolina Outdoors radio show and podcast.

The Jesse Brown featured in the film was born just seven years earlier (1926) than our Jesse, and enlisted in the Navy at age 20 as a young African-American man with an interest in aviation. He earned his pilot wings in 1948 and was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. He flew twenty combat missions before being shot down while supporting ground troops at the Chosin Reservoir. Jesse Brown became the first African American naval officer killed during the Korean War at the age of 24.

As for our Jesse Brown. He lived into the 21^st century and his name continues to adorn Jesse Brown’s Outdoors and our website www.jessebrowns.com. We stay devoted to our clients by providing selection, service, and commitment to our community.

Come get your summer gear at Jesse Browns we have all the chairs, sunglasses and sun protection to keep you from getting burnt!

Carolina Outdoor host, Bill Bartee, to help with what are the facts versus fiction.

Show Highlights:

• Learn about Korean War Hero Jesse Brown and our Jesse Brown
   
• Jesse Leroy Brown was a trailblazing African American aviator who broke significant racial barriers in the United States Navy. Born on October 13, 1926, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Brown’s journey from a humble background to becoming the first African American naval aviator is a remarkable story of resilience, determination, and heroism.

  Brown’s early life was marked by the challenges of growing up in the segregated South during the Great Depression. Despite these hardships, he excelled academically and showed an early interest in aviation, inspired by stories of pioneering aviators like Charles Lindbergh. His parents, John and Julia Brown, were sharecroppers who emphasized the importance of education. This encouragement played a crucial role in shaping Brown’s aspirations.

  In 1944, Brown graduated as valedictorian from Eureka High School