Oldest U.S. World War II Veteran, Lawrence N. Brooks, Dies at 112-- Part 1

January 5, 2021, ABC News.

Not only the oldest World War II veteran, but also believed to have been the oldest man in the country died Wednesday, January 5 in New Orleans.

His death was announced by the National World War II Museum and was confirmed by his daughter.

He was born on September 12, 1909, and was passionate about his beloved New Orleans Saints and his church, never missing a service there until the coronavirus.

Originally from Norwood, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, his family moved to the Mississippi Delta when he was an infant.    He was one of fifteen children and lived too far from the nearest school so his parents taught him what they could.

Brooks was working at a sawmill when he was drafted into  the U.S. Army in 1940.  After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was mostly stationed with the 91st Engineer General Service Regiment in Australia.  This was a mostly black unit.

--GreGen