Community Corner

Neighborhood Marine Honored on Prospect Park West

Prospect Park West, between 14th Street and Bartel-Pritchard Square, was co-named "Julian Brennan Way" after LCpl. Julian T. Brennan, a Marine who died while serving in Afghanistan in 2009.

As the snowstorm pounded down on the group of people huddled closely together under the Pavilion’s overhang, Marines in dress blues marched for a ceremony to co-name part of Prospect Park West in honor of a fallen Marine, Lance Corporal Julian T. Brennan.

From now on a slice of Prospect Park West, between 14th Street and Bartel-Pritchard Square, will bear the name “Julian Brennan Way.” lived in Park Slope and was the first soldier to die in combat in Afghanistan after President Barak Obama took office. 

“That corner is the intersection of our lives,” said Bill Brennan, Julian’s father, after the ceremony. 

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Bill explained that Julian and his sister Shannon would walk their dog Madison in Prospect Park everyday, he and Julian would throw the football around during autumn afternoons and when Julian was older, he trained for triathlons in the park.

“This place means so much to our family. We spent the last weekend with Julian before he died in the park. We’ll be walking under that sign everyday,” Brennan said.

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In Afghanistan’s Farah Province, on January 24, 2009, Julian was driving a Humvee in a caravan of six heavily armored trucks when his ran over a roadside bomb on a notoriously dangerous road. He died instantly. He was 25.

“Julian was an extraordinary example of a kind of service that remembers there are things bigger than ourselves,” said Councilmember Brad Lander during Saturday’s ceremony. “We are so honored that we are here today and that we can do a little thing to honor Julian’s memory at this location.”

Borough President Marty Markowitz also said a few words about the homegrown hero.

“Julian is an example of a person who honors America and honors Brooklyn. He chose to go into service and he was dedicated to our freedom. He stood up for our dreams of democracy, for our nation,” Markowitz said while the heavy snow came down. “He was a Brooklyn boy! We are ever grateful for his service and we will cherish his memory.”

Before Julian enlisted, he was a working actor, a triathlon athlete and a carpenter for The Martha Stewart Show. There is also a recent . 

The wound of losing a son and a brother may never heal for the Brennans, but Saturday’s ceremony was a happy one, honoring the life of a unique and courageous Park Sloper.

“When we go to the park we’ll see his name. It’ll be there forever, in a place that is very important to our family,” said Shannon Brennan, Julian’s sister, who’s husband proposed to her in Prospect Park.

“It doesn’t change the experience of loss that we went through, but the fact that other people tell his story gives us some comfort,” she said. “It’s such a profound loss, but recognition helps us feel like other people understand the depth. We aren’t the only ones who will remember him.”

Thya Merz, Julian’s mother, admitted that she was weary about how the sign may evoke painful memories. But after the unveiling and seeing Julian’s name on the street sign, she smiled.

“There is a way I carry my love and grief for Julian inside that the external reminder may be hard for me, but that’s not how it feels at all. It’s an honor and it feels right. Julian would have loved it,” Merz said at the ceremony. “There’s no closure on this. We’ll live with this forever, but this is a really lovely moment in time.” 


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