This veteran just reached a milestone birthday. Lawrence Brooks is now 110 years old. He’s also the oldest living American World War II veteran. He served in the predominantly African American 91st Engineer Battalion stationed in the South Pacific. Brooks attained the rank of private first class and still has many memories of his time in the military. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans held a celebration in his honor. InsideEdition.com’s Mara Montalbano has more.
Mr. Lawrence Brock. He passed away this Wednesday morning on January 5th 2022. May God Bless you with open arms into his kingdom my brother. All of the lives that you have touched in those 112yrs is so many that you will not be forgotten. Rest In Peace sir, you were my inspiration in the military.
Bless his wonderful Heart!! Wow it’s crazy how we can live that long. What about this guy?? Richard Arvin Overton (May 11, 1906 – December 27, 2018) was an American supercentenarian who at the age of 112 years, 230 days was the oldest verified surviving U.S. World War II veteran and oldest man in the United States
Lawrence Brooks, the oldest known living American veteran of World War II, died early Wednesday morning, according to the National World War II Museum. He was 112.
“He was a beloved friend, a man of great faith and had a gentle spirit that inspired those around him,” said Stephen Watson, the museum’s president and chief executive. “He proudly served our country during World War II, and returned home to serve his community and church. His kindness, smile and sense of humor connected him to generations of people who loved and admired him.”
Brooks had been in and out of the local veterans’ hospital in New Orleans in recent months, and while still mentally sharp, his body had grown weak, according to the Associated Press.
At the time of his most recent birthday in September, his daughter Vanessa Brooks told the AP, he had recently undergone surgery, suffered a fall, had a kidney infection, and had lost much of his hearing and sight in one eye, with his vision fading in the other.
Still, by all accounts, the supercentenarian maintained a sunny disposition throughout much of his life and was a beloved figure in his community and around the world.
His latest birthday celebration, on Sept. 12, included a drive-by parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a serenade by the National World War II Museum’s singing trio, and a military flyover of his New Orleans shotgun house.
From the American South to military service in Australia and beyond
Born in 1909, Brooks was one of 15 children and was raised in rural Louisiana and Mississippi. He was drafted into the U.S. Army a few weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor at age 31 when the military was still racially segregated.
“We had our tents, and the whites had their tents,” Brooks told the Military Times. “They were next to each other, like next door.”
Brooks spent his time during the war serving with the largely African American 91st Engineer Battalion, stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines.
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