Brigadier General Albert Edwin Brewster Jr. – United States Marine Corp.
May 25, 1930- September 12, 2024
Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the values that define a Marine.
And Service Above Self is the value that defines a Rotarian. As a Marine and Rotarian, these are the values that defined the heart of Brigadier General Albert Edwin Brewster Jr., United States Marine Corps.
Born on May 25, 1930, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Pop was a child of the Great Depression. His generation would be remembered as “the silent generation,” a generation known for being disciplined, hard-working, and resilient—attributes Al Brewster embodied and is remembered for.
As a child of the great depression, he was no stranger to the poverty that captured the nation in the early 1930s. His father was the chief of the Pine Bluff Fire Department until an injury left him unable to work. While loved by his father and mother, his family would struggle to make ends meet.
To help provide for his family, General Brewster worked as a grocery store cashier in high school.
His English teacher came to the store, had him leave his shift, and brought him to sit for an exam to get into the Navy ROTC scholarship program. He passed the exam, and the rest is history.
Al Brewster would serve his country in the Korean War in a Mortar Platoon with the First Marines' First Battalion during the Imjin River Battle. He would receive the Korean Service Medal One Star and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
The Battle of the Imjin River is remembered as the bloodiest engagement by the British Army since World War II – it marked the end of the mobile phase of the Korean War, and over 82,000 lives were lost.
Pop survived the battle without a physical scar, but the battle left him with unseen scars. He would not speak of what he saw, and on the rare occasion that the subject was raised, he would say that the things he bore witness to left him without faith in God.
Al Brewster enrolled in Naval Flight Training earned his wings in 1955 and became a Marine fighter pilot.
During the Vietnam War, Brewster earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and flew 105 combat missions. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with Three Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign with Device.
In 1968, General Brewster's service took him to the Last Frontier, where he served on the Joint Staff of Alaska Command as an Operations Training Officer at Elmendorf Airforce Base in Anchorage, Alaska.
In 1974, he met Suzie, the love of his life, at Bear Valley in California. Six months after he showed Suzie how to put her ski boots on the correct feet, Al and Suzie were married.
Suzie supported him throughout the remainder of his service in the Marine Corps until he retired as a Brigadier General in July 1980.
From 1980 to 1989, Al Brewster served as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for Northrop Corporation, today known as Northrop-Grumman.
In his nine years lobbying on Capitol Hill, General Brewster succeeded in selling the B2 Stealth Bomber to Congress.
Upon retiring from the private sector, Al and Suzie spent the next two years sailing the Caribbean on their sailboat, the Wing and Prayer.
General Brewster was the first flag officer to serve on the Board of Directors of Snowball Express (a 501 c)(3) from 2008 – 2011 and was an ardent supporter of Snowball Express the entire time it was in Dallas through 2017. Snowball Express, with the air support of American Airlines, would take thousands of children from around the nation who had lost a parent serving in the military post 9/11 to Christmas time trips to places like Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal Studios, and frequently to rodeo, cattle drives and other events in the DFW area, providing them hope, new friends and a chance to both grieve and honor their lost parents.
His dedication to Snowball Express would earn the admiration of many, including its Chairman, Col. Roy White, USAF Ret. (A-10 pilot), whose words capture the essence of what Al Brewster represented to those who knew him: “General Brewster was so many things to me and so many others. Mentor, leader, friend, warrior, wingman, arbitrator, mission-focused and always rolled up his sleeves to help in any way possible.”
General Brewster was many times honored by his Rotary Club with the Presidential Award Patriotic, the “Silent Rotarian,” and the Distinguished Military Service Award.
Being led to faith by his beloved wife Suzie, General Brewster was confirmed and baptized on his 89th birthday. He accepted his first holy communion on September 1, 2024 – eleven days before he would pass peacefully in his sleep.
In the ninety-four years General Al Brewster spent on this earth, he touched the lives of many through his service, wisdom, and generosity. He was a devoted husband, an honored father, an adored grandfather, and always a Marine.
May 25, 1930- September 12, 2024
Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the values that define a Marine.
And Service Above Self is the value that defines a Rotarian. As a Marine and Rotarian, these are the values that defined the heart of Brigadier General Albert Edwin Brewster Jr., United States Marine Corps.Born on May 25, 1930, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Pop was a child of the Great Depression. His generation would be remembered as “the silent generation,” a generation known for being disciplined, hard-working, and resilient—attributes Al Brewster embodied and is remembered for.
As a child of the great depression, he was no stranger to the poverty that captured the nation in the early 1930s. His father was the chief of the Pine Bluff Fire Department until an injury left him unable to work. While loved by his father and mother, his family would struggle to make ends meet.
To help provide for his family, General Brewster worked as a grocery store cashier in high school.
His English teacher came to the store, had him leave his shift, and brought him to sit for an exam to get into the Navy ROTC scholarship program. He passed the exam, and the rest is history.
Al Brewster would serve his country in the Korean War in a Mortar Platoon with the First Marines' First Battalion during the Imjin River Battle. He would receive the Korean Service Medal One Star and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
The Battle of the Imjin River is remembered as the bloodiest engagement by the British Army since World War II – it marked the end of the mobile phase of the Korean War, and over 82,000 lives were lost.
Pop survived the battle without a physical scar, but the battle left him with unseen scars. He would not speak of what he saw, and on the rare occasion that the subject was raised, he would say that the things he bore witness to left him without faith in God.
Al Brewster enrolled in Naval Flight Training earned his wings in 1955 and became a Marine fighter pilot.
During the Vietnam War, Brewster earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and flew 105 combat missions. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with Three Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign with Device.
In 1968, General Brewster's service took him to the Last Frontier, where he served on the Joint Staff of Alaska Command as an Operations Training Officer at Elmendorf Airforce Base in Anchorage, Alaska.
In 1974, he met Suzie, the love of his life, at Bear Valley in California. Six months after he showed Suzie how to put her ski boots on the correct feet, Al and Suzie were married.
Suzie supported him throughout the remainder of his service in the Marine Corps until he retired as a Brigadier General in July 1980.
From 1980 to 1989, Al Brewster served as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for Northrop Corporation, today known as Northrop-Grumman.
In his nine years lobbying on Capitol Hill, General Brewster succeeded in selling the B2 Stealth Bomber to Congress.
Upon retiring from the private sector, Al and Suzie spent the next two years sailing the Caribbean on their sailboat, the Wing and Prayer.
General Brewster was the first flag officer to serve on the Board of Directors of Snowball Express (a 501 c)(3) from 2008 – 2011 and was an ardent supporter of Snowball Express the entire time it was in Dallas through 2017. Snowball Express, with the air support of American Airlines, would take thousands of children from around the nation who had lost a parent serving in the military post 9/11 to Christmas time trips to places like Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal Studios, and frequently to rodeo, cattle drives and other events in the DFW area, providing them hope, new friends and a chance to both grieve and honor their lost parents.
His dedication to Snowball Express would earn the admiration of many, including its Chairman, Col. Roy White, USAF Ret. (A-10 pilot), whose words capture the essence of what Al Brewster represented to those who knew him: “General Brewster was so many things to me and so many others. Mentor, leader, friend, warrior, wingman, arbitrator, mission-focused and always rolled up his sleeves to help in any way possible.”
General Brewster was many times honored by his Rotary Club with the Presidential Award Patriotic, the “Silent Rotarian,” and the Distinguished Military Service Award.
Being led to faith by his beloved wife Suzie, General Brewster was confirmed and baptized on his 89th birthday. He accepted his first holy communion on September 1, 2024 – eleven days before he would pass peacefully in his sleep.
In the ninety-four years General Al Brewster spent on this earth, he touched the lives of many through his service, wisdom, and generosity. He was a devoted husband, an honored father, an adored grandfather, and always a Marine.