During World War II, Brown sought to join the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) but was rejected because of her race. She contributed in other ways to the war effort. Brown and her husband Cornelius Coffey organized Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Squadron 613 in conjunction with his school, the Coffey School of Aeronautics. She held the ranks of lieutenant and adjutant in the organization. The CAP flew anti-submarine machines, border patrols, and courier services, protecting the home front and freeing pilots for the war front.