Lawrence Brooks (American veteran)

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Lawrence Brooks
Born (1909-09-12) September 12, 1909 (age 112)
Norwood, Louisiana, United States
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1940–1945
RankPrivate First Class
Unit91st Engineer Battalion
Battles/warsWorld War II

Lawrence Brooks (born September 12, 1909) is an American veteran of the United States Army and the oldest living man in the United States. A supercentenarian from New Orleans, Louisiana, he is the oldest known surviving American World War II veteran.[1]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Brooks grew up in Norwood, Louisiana, and had 14 siblings.[2]

Military service[]

Brooks was drafted into the army when he was 31.[2] He served in the 91st Engineer Battalion in the United States Army in New Guinea and the Philippines during World War II.[2] He was a soldier in the Pacific Theatre from 1941 to 1945.[2] He reached the rank of Private First Class.[3]

Brooks's unit, an engineering corps, was tasked mainly with constructing infrastructure.[2] However, during the Jim Crow-era the army was segregated during Brooks's 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]

Post-War Years[]

After his military service, Brooks worked as a forklift operator in New Orleans until his retirement, and had five children. In 2005, his wife Leona was killed in 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 over Brooks's house, with the museum's "Victory Belles", a trio of singers performing songs predominate from the 1940's era.

References[]

  1. ^ Ettinger, Zoë (September 12, 2020). "The oldest US World War II veteran received more than 10,000 birthday cards from around the world for his 111th birthday". Insider Inc. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Brasted, Chelsea (May 11, 2020). "America's oldest living WWII veteran faced hostility abroad—and at home". National Geographic. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Murray, Kelly; Jones, Kay (September 12, 2020). "America's oldest World War II veteran celebrates his 111th birthday". CNN. Retrieved July 2, 2021.

External links[]


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