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Joseph E. Brower became involved with navigation for commercial air transport in the days of Pan American Airways Systems' flying boats. His career as a navigator after World War II involved work for Pacific Overseas of Ontario, California and for the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC). With the advent of the Korean War, Brower flew the Travis Air Force Base to Tokyo route, first for American Airlines, and then for Overseas National. After leaving aviation for a teaching career, Brower was called back in 1955 to serve as navigator for nonscheduled airlines, including California Eastern, Peninsular Air Transport, United State Overseas, North American Airlines, Los Angeles Air Service and Transocean Air Lines of Oakland (TALOA). Later, he served as navigator with Swissair, United Air Lines, Flying Tiger Airline, and Deutsche Lufthansa. Technological advances in aviation were reducing the need for navigators, however, and Joe Brower worked in flight planning and dispatching for World Airways before retiring in 1986.