going?" Gavin usually welcomed Warren’s question with a friendly optimistic response.
Warren served during all of the 508th PIR’s combat days. He effectively functioned as a "runner" (messenger), connecting the mortar platoon leader with the battalion commander, company commanders, and the forward observers located in the battalion front line areas.
Warren repeatedly declined promotions rather than forfeit his job as a runner. His explanation for failing to take advantage of many promotion opportunities was simply "I can do more for the men of the platoon as a runner than I can as a squad or section leader."
Finally, in 1945, in Heddernheim, Germany, Warren was promoted to Technical Sergeant.
In the fall of 1945, Warren was sent back to the United States and on November 7, 1945, at Fort Dix, New Jersey, he was discharged from the service. The Army lost a truly outstanding man.
Warren Brown recalls his first days in Normandy. “In the first few days, I was with a small group in a farmer's field. We fought off several German attacks from that field. We lost many men including our First Sergeant. My first patrol experience was to fetch water for our wounded men.
I was Lieutenant Abbott’s runner until he was killed. Staff Sergeant Henry assumed command of the platoon and I was his runner. He was killed on July 4, 1944, while adjusting mortar fire.
In mid-July, the 508th PIR returned to Nottingham. We had a few days furlough, sadly participated in memorial services for our comrades lost in Normandy, and applauded our heroes that were decorated.
We welcomed replacements for our lost comrades and helped to orient them. Then we started preparations for our next combat mission.
Our stay in Nottingham was relatively short. On September 17, 1944, a bright Sunday afternoon, the 508th PIR parachuted into a farmer's fields south of Nijmegen, Holland. Our objective was to capture the important highway bridge spanning the Waal River. Its capture would facilitate the movement of British armored forces to and through the City of
Arnhem.
We
spent our first night in Holland, fighting in the city of Nijmegen try-ing to wrest the Highway Bridge from extremely strong determined Ger-man defenders. Early the next morning we broke contact with the Ger-mans, and hurried back to the fields where we had dropped. | 
