Westwood Veteran Remembers Memorial Day With Smiles, Pride

In his home, Westwood resident George Brennan, Jr. has an office filled with memories. To the family, it's known as "The Shrine".

The reason? All of the room's contents are reflections of Brennan's experiences while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps - everything from awards to plaques, medals, photographs, planes, memorabilia, and more. 

"It's where he loves to be," said Susan McIntyre, Brennan's youngest daughter, also of Westwood. "It's all of his memories, and he has many medals that he's been awarded." 

Brennan, 90,  is only one of Westwood's many war veterans, having served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. For a man who has seen the face of war, one thing is certain: Memorial Day holds a special place in his heart.

"When I was growing up, I became familiar with World War I, and what difficulty it was over there," Brennan said. "My dad was wounded in World War I, and I always had great respect for that. He returned and became a member of the Boston Police Department. Through him, I became very much aware of the significance of Memorial day."

Brennan recalled his father, George J. Brennan, Sr., as an "infantry man" and a "machine gunner" who served in what was previously known as The Great War. His father was a volunteer in the war, and was not drafted.

Years after his service, he was stricken with what Brennan described as a "brain type situation," and it was discovered that a small piece of shrapnel had been lodged in his head, a result from war battle, which was successfully removed through surgery.

"I have a high regard and love for my father," said Brennan, who mused on the notion that World War I was originally conceived as "The War to End All Wars."

"We know it didn't," he said, "but it did do one thing. It showed that this country could pull itself together after much of the agony we had during the civil war."

For his own part, Brennan served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps and was able to see a great deal of service in the Pacific. His squadron comprised about 36 men, which assembled in 1943 for combat; they serve together for 14 months. 

"We had a heavy sense of camaraderie," said Brennan, who survived being shot down twice in the Pacific during the course of flying 240 missions in a Douglas Dauntless naval dive bomber, as well as a F4U Corsair aircraft. He eventually went on to fly for Northeast Airlines, and later founded Bay State College to train former military pilots for business.

As for his thoughts on Memorial Day, Brennan said he believes a spirit of true camaraderie has stood the test of time, and resonates with soldiers overseas now, just as it resonated with he and his fellow troops.

"Being a veteran, no matter what branch of the service, means patriotism is not just a sentence or a word. It means you have love and regard for your country, you have love and regard for those who serve on either side of you.

"In almost every instance, people who drive beside you or fly beside you are instrumental in being each other's best friend," he added. "And I believe, even now, over the last 12 or 20 years, with all the places our nation has gone, that spirit still stands tall. And I think the young people who are spread over Afghanistan or wherever might share that sense."

The spirit of Memorial Day also trickled down the bloodline, and it's something that McIntyre said was certainly present during her childhood.

"Memorial Day for us has always been a relatively big day," said McIntyre, who is the youngest of Brennan's six children (he had five daughters and one son). "My dad always took us to the cemetery to plant flowers and flags at the graves."

But the horrors of war are not specifics Brennan likes to get into.

"He has never shared with us the gore or horror of what he has seen," McIntyre said. "He has seen a lot, but he doesn't talk about that side of it; he's always been much more positive."

But after watching the HBO miniseries "The Pacific," McIntyre said it helped her to see what he may have endured. 

"It was a real wake-up call," she said. "He never complains about anything, but just says how amazing it was to be apart of that and World War II."

Brennan's initial training began in 1941 with the Naval Aviation branch of the service at Pensacola, Florida. His training would lead to him earning 21 air medals and seven Distinguished Flying Crosses.

"As I grew older and went on into high school, World War II came along, and it was my great good fortune to be able to apply to the Naval Aviation branch of the service," Brennan said. "I thank God for the friendships, the experiences, and as you can probably gather, my deep pride in our country."

Upon his return from war, Brennan acquired two skill sets he didn't realize he had: self confidence and the ability to depend on those with whom he worked. 

"I received confidence in my ability," he said. "And not in a bad way. And I learned to depend not on myself, but those around me. I learned to depend on the fellow who walked beside me or flew beside me, and I think respect for all your buddies and teamwork more than anything."

Moreover, Brennan said what he experienced while serving has helped him to enjoy life to the fullest. 

"I've accomplished much joy of living because of learning about loyalty and friendships," he said.

When he returned home from overseas, he didn't hesitate on starting a family. In addition to six children, Brennan has 25 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. And while none has gone into service the way Brennan has, one grandson has gone on to work for the U.S. Secret Service at the White House, and another works for the U.S. Border Patrol. 

Brennan's demeanor and outlook on life left a strong impression on his youngest daughter.

"He is the best human being I have ever known," McIntyre said. "And almost everybody who would meet him would tell you the same thing. He is the most generous, caring, honest human being. He's very positive and very proud of his time in the service. He is a self-made man who has accomplished a great deal. He really has taught so many people about what it means to serve the country and put your life on the line."

And there's no doubt about it - Brennan will be on the sidelines, watching today's Memorial Day parade. 

"I think that this town does an outstanding job of memorializing veterans of all wars," he said, speaking specifically about the veteran bricks that pave the path of . 

"That type of expression is really true about how we in this town memorialize those who have gone before, and, incidentally, those who have gone afterward."