Los Angeles, Ca
Southern California veteran honored by president on 80th Anniversary of D-Day in France
A veteran from Inglewood who served in World War II was honored by President Biden in France on the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Louis Brown, 98, took a trip to the shores of Normandy Beach where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during the war in the 1940s.
Brown, originally from Mississippi, was drafted into the Army when he was a teenager in 1944.
“Being a little young fellow in there, we didn’t know [anything],” Brown said of joining the Army. “You know, we were kind of excited to be over there. I didn’t know I was making a part of history or anything like that.”
At such a young age, he said he didn’t realize what he was stepping into and his eyes were opened to the world during a time of incredible strife and the threat of Adolf Hitler’s Nazis in Europe.
Brown eventually became a corporal in the 4036th Quartermaster, a convoy unit that was known to operate 24 hours a day, at times under enemy fire, to deliver urgent supplies to the frontlines.
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Louis Brown sharing photos of his time in the Army during World War II with KTLA’s John Fenoglio. (KTLA) -
Louis Brown joined the Army in 1944 and served during World War II where he became a corporal and later, a staff sergeant. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown joined the Army in 1944 and served during World War II where he became a corporal and later, a staff sergeant. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown and a fellow veteran reminisce on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day where he was honored in a ceremony with President Joe Biden in France. (Brown Family) -
On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Louis Brown, 98, visited France for a ceremony where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during World War II. (Brown Family) -
On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Louis Brown, 98, visited the shores of Normandy Beach in France where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during World War II. (Brown Family) -
On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Louis Brown, 98, visited France for a ceremony where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during World War II. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown seen at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at a D-Day Anniversary ceremony held at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. in June 2024. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown and other veterans make their way down a parade path in France as locals cheered them on in June 2024. (Brown Family) -
On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Louis Brown, 98, visited France for a ceremony where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during World War II. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown visited France on the 80th Anniversay of D-Day in June 2024. (Brown Family) -
Louis Brown relaxing outside of his home in Inglewood, California. (KTLA) -
On the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Louis Brown, 98, visited France for a ceremony where he was honored alongside other veterans who served during World War II. (Brown Family) -
Plane ticket to France for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. (Brown Family)
Just days after the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, Brown arrived on Omaha Beach, one of the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion.
“When we got there, the ocean was still bloody,” Brown said. “The ground was all blood. That’s where they killed killed everybody. There was a lot of blood.”
Brown also participated in the Battle of the Rhine and the Battle of Germany. In 1945, his unit was sent to Southern Germany to help liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp where tens of thousands of Jewish and other minority prisoners were held captive.
Brown said it was a horrific experience that he will never forget.
“It was hard for me to believe that a man could survive that and live,” Brown said of the concentration camp. “There were bones sticking out of [the prisoners]. It was terrible. That’s the only thing I can say.”
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden honored Brown and dozens of other WWII veterans at a ceremony in France, honoring their service and remembering the over 4,400 Allied troops who were killed on D-Day.
Video from loved ones showed Brown participating in a parade where French locals cheered him on. He later returned to the shores of Utah and Omaha beaches to honor his fallen comrades during a time that forever changed the course of history.
“To me, I was no hero,” Brown said. “But it’s an honor to serve your country, particularly if you love your country.”
Brown was discharged as a staff sergeant from the Army in 1946. He married in 1950 and had two daughters.
He settled down in Southern California and worked as an equipment operator for the city of Los Angeles for 33 years.
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
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