Display of Patches Stirs Military, NASA Memories

Bennie Scarton Jr. - Knight Ridder/Tribune

The Manassas area is rich in history and places to stir the imagination.

Museums, antique shops and memorials are places to look, read and touch memories of days gone by through the present.

Unknown to many though are the places one would not think to look at for bits of history or to imagine who, what or where. For example, the American Barber Shop's walls at Canterbury Village are covered with police patches from across the United States.

Foster's Grille in Old Town Manassas recently became a place to look at memories or enlighten the imagination of the young.

The walls of the restaurant are decorated with upward of 200 military and NASA patches, donated by Retired Airman Dan Brown. During his 21-year career he came in contact with people from ROTC cadets to astronauts.

"Collecting patches was like collecting business cards. You wanted to remember who the people were and their job. My way of networking was to ask them for a patch. I had the patches stored away in boxes and wanted a place where the public could see them," he said. "I frequently went to Foster's and asked them if they would be interested in me putting them up. They agreed. The display is dedicated to the men and women in the military who are fighting to keep us a free country."

Last week, a ceremony was held at the restaurant to unveil the patches. Manassas Mayor Harry "Hal" Parrish II was on hand for the occasion, as was Brad Hockenberry.

Hockenberry said, "I'm really pleased he selected us as it fits into what our chain wants to do--be a part of the community. I'm really impressed with all the patches Brown has collected with many being very unique."

Brown said that "while putting the patches up, we had many people comment of friends or family who were in the service and wore a patch like the one I was putting in place. Children would ask what the patches meant and for me that "was storytime," he said.

"The patches really are dedicated to the people and places who I served with honor in good times and bad. Each time I look at the patches, the memories of people and places stir and this is what I wanted to share," he said, adding that the collection is also dedicated to his grandchildren, Rylee, Robbie, Wesley and Audrey.

Foster's will accept any military patches to add to the collection.

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