FRANKFORT, Ind. – A hometown hero returned to the Hoosier state almost eight decades after serving.
Hundreds of people gathered in Frankfort to welcome home a WWII veteran after his remains were only recently identified.
The Clinton County war memorial has hundreds of names of veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice, including Private First-Class Clossie Brown.
“He gave all,” Brown’s granddaughter Roslyn Clendenning said. “And I couldn’t be any prouder.”
It was an emotional experience 79 years in the making. Miles away and decades apart from where and when Brown was killed in action, his remains returned back to Indiana. Brown’s family gathered at the Indianapolis International Airport on Friday where his remains flew into.
After Brown’s remains arrived in Indianapolis, a procession made its way to Clinton County.
“He was a hero,” Clendenning said.
It was a day she and other family members said they only dreamt of.
“My grandpa is going to be at peace,” Clendenning said. “And so will his momma.”
The war hero left his mark on his family, including his great-grandson Carl Clendenning who joined the military in Brown’s memory.
“As young as I could remember, five years old, I knew this was what I was destined for,” Carl Clendenning said. “My great-grandfather Clossie was Army Infantry and I was Marine Infantry for 20 years. I couldn’t have found a better way to honor him than following in his footsteps.”
20 years and many service medals later, Brown’s great-grandson still remembers joining the military in his great-grandfather’s honor. He also remembers the impact it had on his grandmother, Brown’s daughter.
“I remember coming home from boot camp wearing this very same uniform and seeing my grandmother, Clossie being her father,” Clendenning described. “He passed away when she was 15. And the hug I received from my grandmother that day is etched in my memory forever. I can still feel her holding me right now and it was her hugging her dad.”
All these years later, Brown’s family finally had the chance to bring him back to Clinton County. Hundreds of people lined the streets of Frankfort welcoming him back.
“What we do here is welcome home a hometown hero,” veteran Michael Murphy said, as he lined up in downtown Frankfort. “It’s just an easy way to say thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice.”
Behind every waving flag in downtown Frankfort, there was a heart filled with pride.
“Being a veteran, I just wanted to come out and show my respect for someone that had given their life for our country that we can have these freedoms and do these things we do,” said Nathan Hale.
Those who gathered described it as a humbling experience.
“We can still come together in a small town to respect someone who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said veteran Sam Hensley.
It was also an experience Brown’s family said they will remember forever.
“My heart is swollen; it’s swollen with pride,” Carl Clendenning said. “It’s humbling. I’m still speechless about the whole day. It lets you know that Indiana remembers their veterans. Indiana holds their veterans high on the totem pole.”
“I’m proud of everything that had anything to do with making our family happy,” Roslyn Clendenning said.
Visitation will be from 12 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Goodwin Funeral Home. Burial with Military Honors will be in Whiteman Cemetery, Michigantown, Indiana. According to Goodwin Funeral Home, people are invited to the Kirklin American Legion for food and fellowship after Brown’s burial ceremony on Tuesday.
