Arthur Leslie Brawley was born on September 8, 1916, in New York City to Edwin James Brawley and Phyllis S. Brawley. Brawley attended White Plains High School and worked in the Remington Arms Co.
Brawley volunteered to become an ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in January 1944, and departed from the United States in March 1944 with unit CM 68. He served with the AFS 567 Company in Italy and Germany, and assisted in the evacuation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after its liberation in 1945 as a member of “D” Platoon. Brawley was repatriated to the United States in June 1945, following the cessation of hostilities in Europe.