AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Hobert “Gunny” Brown served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, and in the last city municipal election, he ran for Amarillo City Council Place One.

Brown was no stranger to the military, the Dalhart native was surrounded by men in his family who served.

“What drew me was, my stepfather Air Force. My uncle Army. The gentleman my aunt dated Navy. I wanted something different. I definitely wanted something different,” said Brown.

Brown joined the United States Marine Corps in 1984 after 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors, and 3 U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives after a bombing at the Marine barracks at the Beirut airport.

“When you see those Marines at a gravesite crying for their brothers, I wanted to be a part of that. I really wanted to be a part of that and when I got stationed in New London, Connecticut, a lot of those Marines were Beirut Marines. They were there. That was a highlight of my career. I actually got to serve with the Marines that I wanted to be with,” said Brown.

Brown said he was able to go to every continent on Earth, except Antarctica, and learn about different cultures and lifestyles.

“I’m a kid from Dalhart, Texas. Barbeque and cattle and farmland and football, that’s basically all we know and everything. But it gives you a whole new perspective of the little piece of earth that you have,” added Brown.

Brown’s career would span from Iwakuni, Japan in which he perform construction to New London, Connecticut where he would guard the entrance and exit of the Naval Submarine Base there. From there, he would go to Norfolk, Virginia, where he would become a part of the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team. He would then go to Camp Pendleton and then go to Des Moines, Iowa for recruitment duty and finally Camp Lejeune in which he was an instructor for the combat engineer field.

After 20 years, Brown would retire as a Gunnery Sergeant and be awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received in combat during Desert Storm and the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V for Valor.

During his time back on the High Plains, Brown has become involved in the community in several different ways, whether being a part of the Amarillo Branch NAACP or running for different offices.

He added that though his time in the military is over, he still feels a need to serve.

“That’s one reason I ran for city council is because I know what it’s like to serve the people. I know on a big scale what it’s like. I know what it’s like to risk my life for the people. Serving the people here my life is not in danger, but I still want to serve them, and it’s right here in my heart,” added Brown.

Brown said it’s important for other veterans to volunteer in the community, whether it’s something as small as picking up trash or volunteering with a local organization.

When asked if he would run again for a public office, Brown said he would.