The oldest World War II veteran in the United States died at the age of 112

Lawrence Brooks, the longest-lived American veteran who served in World War II, died on January 5, local time, at the age of 112.

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The National World War II Museum in New Orleans reportedly announced Brooks' death, but did not mention the cause of death.

The African-American Brooks enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 31 and served in the Predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion during World War II, where he was stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines.

Far from the front lines, Brooks had two near-death experiences. Once on a plane carrying supplies, he ran out of fuel, and another time a Japanese sniper shot an American soldier a few steps away from him.

According to the National World War II Museum, Brooks was classified as a service officer, responsible for cleaning and cooking for the three officers in the battalion, and earned the rank of first class soldier.

Stephen Watson, museum director, said: "As the oldest known living veteran in the country, he proudly served his country during World War II, and when he returned home, he served the community and the church. ”

Brooks' wife died in November 2008. Brooks still has five children, 13 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there were 16 million U.S. service members who fought in the war during World War II, and as of September 2021, about 240,000 are still alive.

(Original title: The oldest World War II veteran in the United States died at the age of 112 Source: China News Network)