Eagle Scout honors veterans

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By Meladi Brewer
DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Garrett Brown understood the honor of earning his wings, but he was first inspired by the honor of those who gave him the freedom to do so.

In the beginning of 2021, in pursuit of Eagle Scout status, Brown noticed the Bears Mill Veteran’s Memorial was run down. He saw it as an opportunity to honor those who served and currently are serving while finding his Eagle Scout project inspiration.

“I came out here and saw the memorial was kind of run down, and I wanted to make some improvements and make it look better and give it justice for the people who serve our country,” Brown said.

Bears Mill has been a part of Brown’s life ever since he was a kid, so when the opportunity arose to give back to a piece of his childhood, he was eager to start. Especially since the project holds an even deeper connection than childhood memories.

“As a kid, I came out here a lot, and I felt like the veterans needed more recognition than they get usually,” Brown said. “With my grandpa being a veteran, it also meant something more, so that is why I chose this project.”

Brown is grateful to be able to honor those close to him through the project and have the support of the community as he did so. The project was not an easy task as there were a few mishaps along the way.

“Well, it took about 10 people to get that flag pole up there, and then we had to take it back out because something wasn’t put on right,” Brown said.

Even through the difficulties, Brown is happy to have stuck through the process and got to see his vision come to life, earning him the honor of Eagle Scout.

“It feels amazing to accomplish this honor after all these years of hard work. I feel accomplished now and like I have accomplished something good in my life,” Brown said.

Brown joined the scouts after he learned his father was an Eagle Scout. He started with the Cub Scouts to see how he liked it and later found his passion to stay in as he began to make rank.

“I figured I went this far, so I might as well keep going until I get there and earn my Eagle Scout,” Brown said.

Brown learned valuable lessons through the project from organizational skills to confident leadership skills.

“I learned how to lead a big group, get a project done, and kind of run the show,” Brown said. “I was able to tell everyone you do this, and you do that. In the end it all came together really nicely.”

Earning the honor of Eagle Scout, Brown spoke out to younger scouts encouraging them to never give up and work hard to make their goals a reality.

“Don’t give up just because something bad happened. Work through that, and don’t give up because of one little thing. I found my rough patches here and there, but I worked through it until I got here,” Brown said.

Brown would like to thank all those who donated to the project including the Ansonia American Legion Post 353, Greenville VFW Post 7262, Waymire Barns, RMJ Enterprise , and family and friends. A special thank you goes out to all the military members who have served and are currently serving.

“I just want to thank all the veterans for their hard work, and serving our county,” Brown said.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].

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