Oldest U.S. World War II Vet Dies, Lawrence N. Brooks, 112-- Part 2

Later in the war, troop losses caused the U.S.. military to begin using black troops in combat situations.  In  1941, there were fewer than 4,000 Blacks serving in the military.  By 1945, that number had risen to more than 1.5 million.

The 91st, where Brooks served, was an Army unit that built bridge, roads and airstrips for planes.  Brooks' job in it was  to cook, drive and  take care of the clothes of three white officers.

Brooks did not often speak publicly about the discrimination that he met in the war or back at home.  Brooks was treated better as a black man in Australia than he was at home.

He did say that he was treated well by the white officers and that he was lucky he did not have to actually fight in combat.  "I got lucky.  I was saying to myself, 'If I'm going to be shooting at somebody, somebody's  going to be shooting at me and he might get lucky and hit [me].' "

--GreGen