Joseph Charles Brown was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 26, 1925.
He graduated from Tilden Technical High School, an all boys Catholic High School in South Chicago. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps (1944-1948) and then the U.S.A.F (1948-1968). From 1968-1986, he worked for the Department of Defense at The Pentagon and was a key Benchmark Systems Analyst & Team leader for DARPA /ARPANET, playing a key role in the building of the internet.
From 1956-1960 he was a cryptographer at the Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden Air Force Base, Germany where he broke Russian code during the Cold War. From 1957-1959 he coached Wiesbaden Bears to Little League Championship 3 years in a row, think “Bad News Bears”!
The Club
The Club was co founded by Joseph C. Brown (known simply as “Charlie” to the community) in Manassas, VA to support military Veterans who were recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. His wife Doris Brown who was his co pilot on this voyage of compassion, often managed The Club on her own. She is 92 years old and lives in Largo, Florida.
The Club offered a safe, drug & alcohol free community where members could socialize and support each other during different times of the year, especially holidays. Through the efforts of The Club, many Veterans were able to get the necessary support needed for healing, restoration and recovery.
It is in that same spirit that we carry on the legacy of Joseph C. Brown. Building vital, quality social connections are crucial to the recovery process. There is increasing research that reveals the important role social connection and support plays in the overall addiction recovery process.
The Club offers all members of the military support through addiction recovery by:
- Creating an environment where you feel like a worthwhile and valuable individual
- Mutual Respect and Appreciation
- Creating a sense of belonging, attachment and commitment
- Taking part in shared responsibility for each other and Personal Accountability
- Engaging in a shared decision-making process, taking into account the input from all members
- Varied opportunities for sharing, creativity and recreation, laughter and joy
- Enhancing the feelings of connection, competence and well-being
