Brown was ordered to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island in June 1940 and completed Senior course there one year later. He was promoted to Captain on July 1, 1941 and assumed command of light cruiser Richmond. Brown participated with his ship as the part of rear admiral Abel T. Bidwell's Cruiser Division 3 in the neutrality patrols off the coast of Chile against Nazi Germany raiders and after Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he led Richmond to Panama Canal Zone.
