LTC Norman A. Browell

Norman A. Browell began his military career in 1928 at the age of 20 with the Pennsylvania National Guard at Williamsport, PA, his birthplace. In 1929 he moved to Vanderbilt, PA and was transferred to the Guard’s Howitzer Company headquartered in Connellsville.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1933 and was subsequently promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1937. After graduating from regular army infantry school in Ft Benning, GA (with a superior rating) in 1938, he was promoted to Captain and assumed command of the Howitzer Company.

  At that time, Browell was the second youngest captain (age 30) serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard. In addition to his Guard duties, he was working full-time as an Inspector for PA Turnpike Commission during the building of the turnpike. He was also President of the Tri-Town (Vanderbilt, Liberty, Dickerson Run) Fire Company.

  In late 1939, the Howitzer Company was reorganized into an Anti-Tank Platoon as part of a PA Guard reorganization. Subsequently, in the summer of 1940, Browell assumed command of the Guard’s Service Company located in Scottdale, PA.

Browell commanded the Service Company when it was federalized in early 1941 as part of the 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Division and he entered active service as a Captain. In April 1941, during the yearlong training that the federalized guardsmen received at Fort Indiantown Gap PA, Browell returned to command of the (now) Anti-Tank Company.

  The Anti-Tank Company moved to Louisiana for maneuvers in January of 1942 and Browell became Executive Officer of the 3rd Battalion (110th Regiment). In August of 1942, he was named Supply Officer for the newly created 330th Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Division at Camp Atterbury, IN.

In April of 1943, Browell was promoted to Major and became Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 290th Infantry Regiment, 75th Division at Ft Leonard Wood, MO.

  The following year (1944) he was assigned to Camp Wolters, TX Infantry Training Center as Operations Officer on the General Staff. Camp Wolters was the largest infantry training replacement center during WWII and housed nearly 30,000 soldiers at its peak.

In early 1945, Browell was assigned as Executive Officer for the Wakeman Convalescent Hospital at Camp Atterbury, IN. During this time, the hospital had reached a capacity of nearly 10,000 wounded soldiers. Browell directed hospital administration and all non-medical personnel.

  After the hospital closed in December of 1945, he directed the final ceremony process at Camp Atterbury for separating soldiers during 1946. Camp Atterbury was the second largest separation center after WWII, processing 540,000 enlisted soldiers and 40,000 officers.

In May 1947, Browell was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and subsequently assigned to Austria as part of the post WWII occupation and rebuilding process. He served first as a Police Battalion Commander and then as an Operations Officer on the US Army headquarters staff in Austria.

Following his return from Austria in 1951, Browell continued his service as an Operations Officer at Ft. Hamilton in NYC. He was then assigned to Korea in 1954 to become the Deputy Port Commander at Inchon.

  Browell returned to the US from Korea in 1956. After serving in various command and leadership roles in the US, he retired from military service in early 1960 due to a medical disability. He passed away that December from complications of an illness that he had contracted while serving in Korea.