Robert K. Brown, Publisher And Advocate For Second Amendment, Vets, Passes Away At 93

Wikimedia Commons/Public/The National Guard/Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy

Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown, United States Army Reserve and the longtime editor/publisher of Soldier of Fortune magazine, passed away in August, according to announcements posted on Facebook Monday.

Brown founded Soldier of Fortune magazine in 1975, seeking to provide a voice for veterans, particularly those who served in the Vietnam War. He died on Aug. 28, according to a photo of a headstone posted with the Monday announcement on Brown’s personal Facebook page.

“Lt. Col. Robert K Brown, Patriot, Warrior has crossed the River. In full command to the end, he faced his final Battle with the dignity and courage with which he had lived,” the post read. “Our Veterans and warriors lost a giant. Heaven is no doubt a lot rowdier.”

“I am grateful to Bob for the magazine he created, for the history we shared, and for the opportunity to carry Soldier of Fortune forward,” publisher Susan Katz Keating, who purchased the outlet from Brown in March 2022, posted on the official Soldier of Fortune Facebook page Monday. “He holds a lasting place in my own story, as well as in the lives of so many who found adventure, friendship, and a sense of belonging through SOF. My condolences to everyone who will miss him.”

Comments on the posts on both Brown’s personal Facebook page and the Soldier of Fortune Facebook page included many from veterans who cited the publication as an inspiration for their military service.

In addition to his duties at Soldier of Fortune magazine, Brown was also a long-time advocate for the Second Amendment, serving on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association.

Former NRA President Susan Froman also paid tribute to Brown.

“So happy to have known and worked with Bob, to have been the first woman to shoot in the SOF Convention firepower demo (thanks also to the late Peter Kokalis), and to have served with Bob on the NRA Board of Directors,” Froman commented on the Soldier of Fortune Facebook post announcing his passing.