Because of Thomas Brownfield, MPA ’74, and his pay-it-forward mantra, more veterans will be able to complete degrees and find success in the military and civilian worlds. The former U.S. Marine and Vietnam War veteran has established an endowment with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs to support military-connected graduate students enrolled in the Master of Public Administration program. “Even though I am a person of humble means, I’ve always identified with the words of Woody Hayes, ‘You can pay back only seldom, but you can always pay forward.’ This way of giving is very important to me,” Brownfield said. “I believe it will take care of everything else. I owe so much to the Glenn College and Ohio State for giving me a new start in civilian life.”
Brownfield earned his Master of Arts in Public Administration after sustaining life-threatening injuries as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. While on a night medical evacuation mission in low ceilings and fog, the helicopter Brownfield was co-piloting was driven out of its landing zone approach by hostile fire, forcing it to crash into a mountainside. The impact and subsequent fire killed the crew chief and gunner and badly burned Brownfield. He was airlifted back to the U.S. and spent 19 months recovering at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, Calif. During the stay, he received an invitation from Woody Hayes to attend the 1969 Rose Bowl, where he watched the Buckeyes defeat the University of Southern California in the national championship. “This did as much to heal me as any other treatment I received,” Brownfield said. “Soon after the win, I returned to duty as a fully fit Marine aviator.”
Upon his release, Brownfield and his now-deceased wife Margaret, a naval nurse he met while at Oak Knoll, made the cross-country drive to their new home at Marine Corps Air StationNew River in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Brownfield was then upgraded to Helicopter Aircraft Commander (HAC) in the CH-46 and spent two years on Caribbean and Mediterranean deployments.
In 1971, Brownfield decided to leave the military. “By this time, we had a young daughter and son. I resigned my commission as a captain, and eventually, a Marine Physical Evaluation Board judged me to be 60-percent disabled, and I was medically retired effective Sept 1, 1972.” The family relocated to Columbus through the support of the Department of Veteran Affairs’ educational assistance program. Initially, Brownfield began post-graduate studies at Otterbein University, but his connection to the Buckeye spirit pushed him to enroll at The Ohio State University. “I wanted to translate my military skills and experience into meaningful work in the civilian world, but wasn’t clear on what would get me there,” said Brownfield. “I thought about becoming a lawyer, so I met with Ohio State’s law school advisors, but left feeling unencouraged.”
Brownfield became more hopeful after meeting with the dean of the School of Public Administration. “Dr. Clinton Oster was so welcoming. He spent a lot of time with me... he really went out of his way, and because of his assistance, I gained admission to the school,” added Brownfield.
While attending the School of Public Administration, Brownfield connected with Professor John Stanley, who helped him navigate from soldier to student. “I found a close relationship with Professor Stanley, who also worked to place students in summer internships,” Brownfield said. “Being a young vet with a family, I’m sure Professor Stanley knew how much the income meant to me. He was a wonderful professor and counselor to many students, and I am forever grateful for his advice and genuine encouragement. He was the guy that made things come together for me.”
Brownfield completed internships with the City of Columbus on a municipal management study, which resulted in two article revisions being made in the city’s charter in 1974, and with Port Columbus Airport studying its economic impact. But what kept Brownfield going was his love for aviation. Following graduation, Brownfield returned to the profession as a flight instructor with Ohio State’s School of Aviation and also spent time as a pilot with the Ohio Department of Transportation, where he flew state officials, including the governor, eventually moving into business aviation as a corporate pilot. In 2002, Brownfield retired as a chief pilot from Duke Energy in Houston, Texas.
After Stanley’s passing, Brownfield discovered that the two also shared a special bond. “I read after Professor Stanley passed that he’d also been a young Marine in the Pacific during WWII. I’ll never forget that moment; it reminded me of the power in living by the motto ‘the Marine Corps Takes Care of Its Own,’ and it furthered my commitment to taking care of fellow veterans and their families with reaching their educational goals,” Brownfield said.
Brownfield encourages other alumni to help the Glenn College by doing the same and paying it forward.