Twenty-four feet beneath the water of Ouachita Lake, is a memorial, “Fearless Rock,” in honor of fallen Navy Seal Adam Brown. From November 2012 to July 27, 2013, a team of divers constructed Fearless Rock. Among them was sophomore Saxon Smith.
Brown was raised in Arkansas and was a 12-year veteran of the United States Navy. He was a husband to Kelly Brown and father to Savannah and Nathan. Brown was killed in action on March 17, 2010 in Komar Province, Afghanistan during an assault on an enemy compound. He performed this operation many times, but when some of the troops were pinned down in the fire fight, Brown made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his men.
Author Eric Blehm wrote Brown’s life story in his book “Fearless,” which Smith said she recommends to everyone.
“It changed my perspective on life,” Smith said.
Smith said her parents introduced her to the project.
“My parents met the founder at the dive shop where I first learned to dive,” Smith said. “I started diving at the age of 8. My dad introduced me because he learned to dive back in college.”
The team consisted of the six divers, including the founder, William Stevens. Smith worked above the water, as well as below it.
“I made food and monitored weather patterns as well as made sure of the safety of the divers. When I was underwater, I helped lay and set the verse stone and was given the honor of placing the American flag above it,” Smith said.
Stevens gave Smith the honor of placing the flag on top of the memorial because she did what others wouldn’t, with patience.
“It was a very emotional, but honoring experience,” Smith said.
Selling shirts and patches raised funds, while the dive shops offered technical advice, allowed divers to borrow special diving gear, refilled air tanks and spread the word of the memorial.
Over $9,500 was raised for the memorial. After the memorial was built $2,400 was left over, and it was donated to the Adam Brown Legacy Fund. Twenty-four was Brown’s Lake Hamilton High School football number.
Smith met Brown’s family and accompanied them in the dive to view the finished memorial.
“When we took his family down to see the memorial, the base of the memorial was at 24 feet, so we feel like Adam was down there with us,” Smith said.
The memorial can be found approximately 28 feet adjacent to a marker on the shore.
Smith said that the memorial will continue to be worked on and improved for years to come.
The most difficult aspect of the project was how tiring it was Smith said.
“All the constant trips to the lake got very exhausting, but the final moment seeing it was breathtaking,” Smith said. “I loved just how much I was doing for others.”
People from all over the United States contributed money to the memorial’s construction to make it possible.
“This was a fun project, but I was not only honoring his family and friends, but the country and every Navy Seal that risks their lives everyday,” Smith said.
