Lloyd remembers Armistice Day in 1918 as few veterans can. He was a teenage United States Navy seaman aboard the battleship USS New Hampshire in port stateside when the fighting stopped. The New Hampshire patrolled the North Atlantic for German submarines. He reportedly lied about his age to join the U.S. Navy at 16. Lloyd said that all the young men were going in the service. They were making the headlines and of course all the girls liked someone in uniform. He finished his tour of duty in 1919, took a break for a couple of years, then re-enlisted. He learned to play the cello at a musicians school in Norfolk, Va., and was assigned to an admiral's 10-piece chamber orchestra aboard the USS Seattle. When Brown ended his military career in 1925, he joined the Washington Fire Department's Engine Company 16, which served the White House and embassies. He had married twice, and had a son and daughter from one marriage and two daughters from the other. Even after reaching 100, Brown remained independent, living alone in his Charlotte Hall bungalow and driving a golf cart around his neighborhood. He died several weeks after suffering a fall that resulted in hospitalization for blood clots at age 105. He was the last known surviving World War I Navy veteran.
Lloyd remembers Armistice Day in 1918 as few veterans can. He was a teenage United States Navy seaman aboard the battleship USS New Hampshire in port stateside when the fighting stopped. The New Hampshire patrolled the North Atlantic for German submarines. He reportedly lied about his age to join the U.S. Navy at 16. Lloyd said that all the young men were going in the service. They were making the headlines and of course all the girls liked someone in uniform. He finished his tour of duty in 1919, took a break for a couple of years, then re-enlisted. He learned to play the cello at a musicians school in Norfolk, Va., and was assigned to an admiral's 10-piece chamber orchestra aboard the USS Seattle. When Brown ended his military career in 1925, he joined the Washington Fire Department's Engine Company 16, which served the White House and embassies. He had married twice, and had a son and daughter from one marriage and two daughters from the other. Even after reaching 100, Brown remained independent, living alone in his Charlotte Hall bungalow and driving a golf cart around his neighborhood. He died several weeks after suffering a fall that resulted in hospitalization for blood clots at age 105. He was the last known surviving World War I Navy veteran.
