Lawrence Brooks | |
---|---|
Brooks in 1941 | |
Born | September 12, 1909 |
Died | January 5, 2022 | (aged 112)
Place of birth | Norwood, Louisiana, U.S. |
Place of death | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/branch | United States Army |
Years of service | 1940–1945 |
Rank | Private first class |
Unit | 91st Engineer Battalion |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Lawrence Brooks (September 12, 1909 – January 5, 2022) was an American veteran of the United States Army and the oldest living man in the United States. A supercentenarian from New Orleans, Louisiana, he was the oldest living known American World War II veteran.
Early life[]
Brooks was born on September 12, 1909. He grew up in Norwood, Louisiana, and had 14 siblings. When he was an infant, the family moved to several cities closer to the Mississippi Delta, but he was raised primarily in the small town of Stephenson, Mississippi.[1] He did not attend school because he was too far away from the nearest one, so he was taught at home.[2][3]
Military service[]
Brooks was drafted into the army in 1940, when he was 31. At the time, he was employed at a sawmill.[2][3] He was discharged in 1941, after a year of mandatory service, but he rejoined the army after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[1] He served in the 91st Engineer Battalion in the United States Army in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II.[2] Brooks was a soldier in the Pacific Theatre from 1941 to 1945.[2] He reached the rank of private first class.[4]
Brooks's unit, an engineering corps, was tasked mainly with building infrastructure.[2] However, the army was segregated during his service, and he was responsible for assisting white officers with daily tasks.[2]
During a posting in Australia, Brooks noted that he was treated better by the white people there than in the United States in the decades before the civil rights movement.[2]
Later life[]
After his military service, Brooks worked as a forklift operator in New Orleans until his retirement, and he had five children. His wife, Leona, died shortly after Hurricane Katrina. In the mid-2010s, The National WWII Museum began to host an annual birthday party for Brooks. In 2020, this celebration included a flyover of World War II aircraft above Brooks's house, with the museum's "Victory Belles", a trio of singers performing songs predominately from the 1940s era. The city of New Orleans also recognized Brooks's birthday with an official proclamation.[3][5][6]
Death[]
Brooks died on January 5, 2022, in his New Orleans home, at the age of 112. His daughter, Vanessa Brooks, confirmed his death to the Military Times, hours later. She said that he had been back and forth to the New Orleans VA Hospital in recent months.[7][8] After his death, actor Gary Sinise posted a tribute on Twitter.[8] Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards also posted, saying: "I am sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. Lawrence Brooks, America’s oldest World War II veteran and a proud Louisianan".[9] President Joe Biden referred to Brooks as "truly the best of America".[10]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Froeba, Kristine (January 5, 2022). "Oldest US World War II veteran dies at 112 in New Orleans". Army Times. https://www.armytimes.com/military-honor/salute-veterans/2022/01/05/oldest-us-world-war-ii-veteran-dies-at-112-in-new-orleans/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Brasted, Chelsea (May 11, 2020). "America's oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home". National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/americas-oldest-living-wwii-veteran-faced-hostility-abroad-home.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Nation's oldest living WWII veteran, Lawrence Brooks, dies at the age of 112". Fox32 Chicago. 2022-01-05. https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/oldest-living-wwii-veteran-lawrence-brooks-dies.
- ↑ Murray, Kelly; Jones, Kay (September 12, 2020). "America's oldest World War II veteran celebrates his 111th birthday". CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/12/us/oldest-veteran-wwii-111th-birthday/index.html.
- ↑ Kollath Wells, Carlie. "Lawrence Brooks, oldest living WWII veteran in U.S., dies at 112 in New Orleans". https://www.nola.com/news/article_3186e3ea-6e4a-11ec-b236-7bd5e447d8bf.html.
- ↑ "110th Birthday Celebration for WWII Veteran Lawrence Brooks". https://www.nationalww2museum.org/events-programs/events/125512-110th-birthday-celebration-wwii-veteran-lawrence-brooks.
- ↑ "Oldest US World War II veteran dies at 112 in New Orleans". Marine Corps Times. January 5, 2022. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/military-honor/salute-veterans/2022/01/05/oldest-us-world-war-ii-veteran-dies-at-112-in-new-orleans/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Roberto, Melissa (2022-01-05). "Gary Sinise pays tribute to oldest WWII veteran Lawrence Brooks following his death: 'An American hero'". https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/gary-sinise-tribute-oldest-wwii-veteran-lawrence-brooks-death.
- ↑ "Lawrence Brooks, oldest U.S. veteran of WWII, dies at 112". https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lawrence-brooks-oldest-us-veteran-wwii-dies-112-rcna11053.
- ↑ "Lawrence Brooks, Oldest Surviving U.S. Veteran Who Served in World War Two, Dies". https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-01-05/lawrence-brooks-oldest-surviving-u-s-veteran-who-served-in-world-war-two-dies.
External links[]
- U.S's oldest living WWII veteran celebrates his 110th birthday on YouTube (video, 0:55 seconds)
The original article can be found at Lawrence Brooks (American veteran) and the edit history here.