/// FIRST RESPONDERS MARCUS BROWN
Top left: Brown, 38, holds a plaque and medal he received during his November 2023 induction into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. Above: Brown flips through an old yearbook from his basic training. He began his service in 2006 at age 19. Left: A medal from Brown's induction to the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.
GETTING TO KNOW MARCUS BROWN
It was during a patrol several years into his police career that Brown found a new mission: helping veterans in need afterhours. “I was on patrol, and I ended up getting a call from the VA about a veteran who had missed his appointment,” he said. “He was in a wheelchair, his legs were super swollen and he was frustrated. He said he had gone back and forth with the VA about an appointment and didn’t have any way to get back [home].” It was during one of these calls in 2019 when Brown met Abe McCann, who worked as an employment coordinator for the Arizona Coalition for Military Families. “Marcus was frustrated that services for veterans on weekends are extremely rare and hard to access,” McCann said. “He also felt a lot of organizations talked a big game but didn’t live up to the hype when it came to showing the value and the work they do.” The two had a “spirited debate” over the struggle to access afterhours services for veterans, which led to a challenge. “I challenged Marcus,” McCann said. “I said, ‘Well, if you think you’re so smart, why don’t you go start your own organization?’” A week later, Brown began formulating Veterans 5 to 9. Founded in 2019, the nonprofit organization provides afterhours assistance to veterans in need and making sure a bad situation doesn’t get worse.
The man behind the badge For Marine turned police sergeant, helping vets is part of the job
Hometown : Casa Grande Current city : Gilbert Military rank : Sergeant Military awards/ decorations : Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (X2), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Certificate of Appreciation and Rifle Sharpshooter Badge Hobbies : Ballroom dancing and rock climbing Pet peeve : Being disrespectful Favorite book : Dune by Frank Herbert Favorite movie : The Fifth Element Favorite team : Phoenix Suns Favorite food : Chicken enchiladas
“I wanted to support from five in the afternoon through the morning,” he said. “I wanted to provide emergency services with food, lodging, transportation and resources for mental health and substance abuse.” McCann, who assisted Brown in the beginning stages of Veterans 5 to 9, said he was impressed watching it blossom. “It’s been cool watching him grow Veterans 5 to 9 because it really embodies the spirit of what veterans do,” he said. “We’re capable people who don’t often ask for help and he’s made something exceptional.” Since 2019, Brown has helped more than 500 veterans and their families facing a crisis. “For me, there’s nothing else but accomplishing the mission,” he said. “I’m going to continue to go, and I want to be able to look in the mirror every day and say I’ve done enough to support myself and done all I can to help veterans.”
BY MONICA D. SPENCER
F OR MARCUS BROWN, HELPING OTHERS HAS ALWAYS been a part of his mission. Brown was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame last year for his work helping fellow veterans in the community after discharge. And while the accolades are nice, Brown remains focused on knowing and accomplishing his mission. “For me, it’s just another part of the mission,” said the Gilbert resident and Casa Grande native. “I wake up every day and think, ‘How I can give back to those who served us and make sure they have a hand up and they’re able to one day repay it forward?’” That mission began when Brown, 38, joined the Marines fresh out of Casa Grande High School with the images of the World Trade Center’s 2001 destruction still raw in the nation’s mind. Bootcamp and the Marine School of Infantry were tough experiences, but they also helped Brown find a greater purpose. “It was fast, it was hard,” he said. “But you got to get through this no matter what the pain is, and actually come out to be something greater than yourself.”
He later completed two tours as a mortarman in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. “That experience was very great, gratifying and tough experience all rolled into one,” he said. “There’s the camaraderie you build with your buddies. And there’s also the toughness, because carrying mortars and base plates for 5 to 10 miles can be excruciating.” After completing his service, Brown worked as a corrections officer and inmate caseworker before attending the University of Phoenix and ITT Technical Institute to complete his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. After graduation in 2014, he joined the Mesa Police Department and is currently a sergeant in the department.
Marine Corps veteran Marcus
Brown smiles as he holds his old dress cap at Black Rock Coffee in Gilbert.
Veterans5-9.com
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