In a Veterans Day Ceremony held on Friday, two Brown County men were honored by the Central Texas Veterans Memorial organization.  J.H. Childs and Jack Carlson will be remembered with plaques at the Central Texas Veterans Park, across the street from the Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood hospital.

Below are pictures of Mr. Childs and Mr. Carlson, pictures of their families at the Veterans Day event, and the text of the memorial plaques for each man.

J.H. CHILDS

1LT JOE HENRY (J.H.) CHILDS

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERAN

Joe Henry (J.H.) Childs was born in Cross Plains on 17 January 1920.  He attended Cross Plains schools where he was an outstanding athlete in multiple sports.  He graduated from Cross Plains High School in 1938 and played on the Freshman football team at Texas Tech University under legendary Coach Pete Cawthon.  He returned to Brownwood in 1939 and played football at Daniel Baker College.  He set the NCAA quick kick record which still stands today.  J.H. married Carolyn June Byrd on 24 December 1941 in Brownwood.  After Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, J.H. enlisted in the Army on 22 December 1941.  He attended infantry school at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 26 September 1942.  He sailed from Hawaii on 20 July 1943 for duty as an infantry unit commander in New Guinea and Luzon, Philippines.  J.H. was promoted to First Lieutenant (1LT) on 10 July 1944.  On 24 February 1945 on Luzon, Philippines, 1LT Childs’ mortar platoon was subjected to a strong Japanese counterattack that cut communication lines between the fire control center and the mortars.  Knowing that the success of his platoon’s defense depended on operation of these lines, 1LT Childs left his fox hole in the face of intense small arms and mortar fire and succeeded in repairing the lines despite sustaining severe life-threatening injuries.  The injuries included fractures of the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, puncture of the spinal cord resulting in partial paralysis of both legs, fracture of the right arm resulting in bone loss with partial paralysis, and other flesh wounds.  He was awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry on 8 May 1945.  Other medals include Bronze Star, Purple Heart, American Theater Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal with Bronze Star, Victory Medal, World War II Combat Infantry Badge, and Philippine Liberation Medal with two Bronze Stars.  After more than two years in military hospitals including Battle Creek, Michigan, and San Antonio, and Temple, Texas, he was discharged from the Army in 1947 and with appointment as Honorary Captain on 2 April 1948.  On returning to Brownwood, he served as County Clerk from 1951 to 1963 and was elected County Judge in 1963, before he was appointed Postmaster by John F. Kennedy on 26 July 1963.  He received Brownwood Man of the Year Under 35 in 1954.  He served on Brown County Chapter of the Red Cross Board of Directors, Board of Directors of the United Way, Brown County Committee for Employment of the Handicapped, and Brown County Junior Chamber of Commerce.  Especially important was serving as Chaiman of the Board of the Brown County March of Dimes 1958.  Her served as a s State Commander of the Disabled American Veterans and Supported the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.  He was nominated as a finalist for the U.S. Postal Service Handicapped Employee of the Year in 1971.  He retired as Postmaster and remained in Brownwood until his death never letting his severe injuries keep him from contributing to his family, his church, and his community.  J.H. Childs passed away on 29 August 1992.

JACK CARLSON

MAJOR JACK CARLSON

KANGAROO SQUARDRON

Jack Leo Carlson was born in Brownwood on 20 August 1917 to Torje Carlson and Vertna Ragsdale Carson.  He graduated from Brownwood High School in 1935 and graduated from Texas Tech University where he was on the college golf team.  Jack joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on 15 March 1941 and graduated as an Aerial Navigator in October 1941.  On 6 December 1941, his B-17 group, the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron, left California for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  They flew into Pearl Harbor at 0800 after 13 hours of flying on 7 December 1941 to find it under attack by the Japanese.  Under attack, being fired upon by friend and foe, almost out of gas, and with no ammunition, Captain Frank Bostrom was able to land their B-17 on the Kahuka Golf Course in North Oahu, Hawaii.  Although originally scheduled to go to the Philippines which were now under Japanese control, they were transferred to a B-17 Flying Fortress Squadron in Australia.  The 435th Squadron was a heavy bombardment squadron consisting of B-17 aircraft, known as Flying Fortresses.  They were the first unit to fly the southern route to Australia to avoid the Japanese.  The “Kangaroo Squadron” flew crucial bombing and reconnaissance missions with Jack as Navigator and later as an intelligence officer.  Jack was awarded a Silver Star for Gallantry during the first U.S. bombing raid on Rabaul.  In March 1942, in one of the most secret and clandestine missions of World War II, Jack guided his B-17 as Navigator to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur, his staff, and his family from Mindanao, Philippines, to Australia.  One week later, he led the evacuation of Philippine President Manuel Quezon to Australia.  His awards include Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Four-In-One Battle Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal, and many more.  The Squadron was now the 435th Bomb Squadron under the 19th Air Group.  After the war in August 1945, Jack returned to Brownwood where he owned and operated Carlson’s Automotive and the Jack Carlson Company for 40 years.  He married Patricia Craig in 1946, and the couple had three daughters.  Jack proudly served on the Brownwood Industrial Foundation when it secured the establishment of a Brownwood location for both the 3M and Kohler Companies.  He was a life member of the Rotary Club, the Masonic Lodge, served on the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce Board, the First National Bank Board, the Brown County Water Improvement District Board, was three times President of the Brownwood Country Club, and was three time Brownwood City Golf Champion.  Jack Leo Carlson passed away in Brownwood on 24 January 1985 at the age of 67.