On December 2nd, the Nixon Library hosted a book signing event for Purple Heart recipient and Nevada congressional candidate, Captain Sam Brown. His book, “Alive Day: Finding Hope and Purpose after Losing Everything,” received a five-star rating on Amazon since its release at the end of August.
How long does it take for a person to burn alive? This was the question that crossed Brown’s mind when his vehicle encountered a Taliban bomb on an Afghan road and quickly caught fire. At the age of 24, he sustained severe burns on 30% of his body, and the road to recovery was long and painful.
In 2006, Brown graduated from West Point Military Academy and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade at Fort Hood in 2008, before being deployed to Afghanistan. Four months later, in September, while leading his team to support another platoon under ambush, a bomb exploded under his vehicle’s fuel tank. After retiring, Brown obtained an MBA in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and founded a company providing critical medication and medical support for veterans. Jim Byron, Chairman and CEO of the Nixon Foundation, mentioned that all contents of the event including the “Excellent Speaker Series” will be provided for American citizens’ educational curriculum.
During the 2024 Republican National Convention, President Trump mentioned Brown in his speech, saying, “His sacrifice may be the greatest among public officials running for office, and I believe he will do well.” In the November election, Brown lost with 46.2% of the vote, while the incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen received 47.9%. Brown stated, “Being your nominee has been the honor of my lifetime. Although the result may not be as desired, I am deeply moved by the trust, dedication, and hope you have shown during the campaign.” He continued, “This is not the end but a new beginning in our fight for our values and the greatness of our country.”
On that day, after his unsuccessful campaign, Brown gave his first speech. People stood up and applauded as he took the stage, saying, “The book was written together with my wife, Amy Brown. For me, the purpose of writing the book is more important than the content.” In May 2009, Brown married Army Lieutenant and intensive care nutritionist Amy Larsen. Brown recalled a conversation with his brother Daniel, who passed away after suffering from severe injuries.
“You are invincible,” Daniel’s voice came clearly through the phone from the other side of the world, the first opportunity in weeks for me to talk to my brother. Daniel was undergoing Corpsman training in the Marine Corps, including military exercises. “This suits him very well; he has always wanted to help others since childhood, unafraid of trauma, blood, and remains calm under pressure.”
“What have you been busy with lately?” Daniel wanted to know the situation, but I deliberately dodged his question, inquiring about his training status and saying that the team he joined would be very fortunate. Daniel interrupted me and said, “I need to tell you something. Nothing can kill you; you are invincible,” trying to change the subject, but he repeated, “I’m not worried; you are invincible.” As we ended the call, we exchanged, “Love you, brother, I’m proud of you.” Hanging up the phone, I thought, I better not disappoint him. That was the last call before the explosion, before I was engulfed in flames.
For most of the time, he was stronger than me. Growing up in the countryside of Arkansas, we once played on a broken trampoline under a large oak tree, with two dogs barking wildly nearby at the bushes. I was the older brother, bigger, faster, and stronger than him, but I was scared, so I ordered Daniel to check (now my 13-year-old eldest son often tells his 9-year-old brother what to do).
Dutifully, Daniel jumped off the trampoline, ran over, shouted, and ran back—two feet away from us was a poisonous snake. I didn’t want to go down, so Daniel jumped off the trampoline again and brought our father, who eliminated the threat with a .22 caliber handgun, “This was one of many times Daniel was braver than me.”
When I was in the early stages of rehabilitation at the Army Medical Center, Daniel was deployed to Afghanistan for the first time. For me, they carried out a revenge mission, and for Daniel, his personal mission was to cause as much damage as possible to those who nearly killed his brother. Each time, Daniel chose the M240 Bravo, one of the largest personal portable machine guns, which is unusual for medical personnel as they also had to carry all medical equipment.
Then he went the second time, and by the third deployment to Afghanistan, Daniel was exposed to countless explosions, suffering from chronic traumatic brain disease (CTE) under the continuous shock of grenades, mortars, and firearms recoil, a neurological disorder caused by repeated concussions, but not visible from the outside. Daniel seemed to become a different person, trapped in an unawake nightmare. As time passed, he found it increasingly difficult to distinguish family members, being told in nightmares that he had to choose between suicide or his family being murdered. Struggling to distinguish reality from nightmares, he chose to end his life in July 2022.
Daniel’s widow Christina is also with us tonight, experiencing immense pain. Brown expressed to her his gratitude for being part of inspiring his life, thanking her for loving his brother, expressing pride in her, and wishing her to continue her mission.
For years, people have said that my story has given them hope and strength to carry on. I take these words as encouragement, believing that my strength to persevere comes from God. For a long time, I resisted the idea of writing a book. But after losing my best brother and friend, witnessing those helpless people, I felt a more urgent need than ever to emphasize the importance of inspiring others to persevere and keep moving forward in critical moments.
We will remember a certain day in life, a defining moment when we cross a threshold: perhaps losing a loved one, facing illness and the threat of death, losing innocence, experiencing abuse for the first time, or changes in a marriage. At such a moment, “a death occurs”—the past state of life will no longer exist.
My “Alive Day” happened in the dark desert, my mouth full of ash, skin stirred and melting, and at the moment when my soldier put out the flames, I felt death pushed away. It made me keenly aware of the meaning of a saved life, no longer belonging to myself.
No one is invincible, but we can believe that the pain we endure will transcend our limited time on earth and prepare us for its extension into eternal purpose. I hope that the story I tell can help people choose survival and find hope in critical moments. The journey of suffering can lead us to a “new identity,” not defined by what we have lost, but by what we have overcome.
Resilient willpower can overcome difficulties, but it is not an instant achievement. Those experiencing darkness may not need to know how to empower themselves (which may exacerbate pressure), they just need to know that they are not alone. The encouragement that led me to write the book represents everything.
Losing Daniel fills me with sorrow, but it is just a lengthy farewell: he lost himself and found ultimate peace through Jesus; one day, we will reunite eternally before the Creator. In fact, enduring physical pain is much easier than enduring inner pain. When we lose hope, we will be shrouded in darkness and defeated by despair. The hope that keeps me moving forward does not come from the goal to be reached but from believing that striving will uplift life. (To be continued)