It has been 76 years since the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, when World War II ended, and even the youngest of the veterans who lived through and survived the war have reached their old age, even at the age of 100. Every year, World War II veterans die away as part of that unforgettable history, and few are still alive today, the oldest of whom is Lawrence Brooks, an African-American veteran living in Louisiana, who celebrated his 112th birthday on September 12, 2021, and the National World War II Museum held an official parental event for him as usual. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, this year's birthday event included a parade and live singing, as well as Brooks' talk show airing online.
■ On Brooks' 112th birthday on September 12, a procession passed in front of his residence and soldiers were seen holding national flags to salute him.
Lawrence Brooks was born on September 12, 1909, to a thriving black family in Norwood, Louisiana, to 14 siblings. Brooks enlisted in the army in 1940 at the age of 31 and retired in November 1941 after completing his military service. The following month the attack on Pearl Harbor, the outbreak of the Pacific War, the United States announced its entry into the war, Brooks, who had only been out of the army for only one month, enlisted again, returned to the barracks, and was assigned to the Army's 91st Independent Engineering Battalion in Shelby Barracks, Mississippi, which was an African-American unit. At that time, racial discrimination was prevalent in the U.S. military, the system of racial segregation was implemented, whites and blacks could not be mixed, and most blacks could only serve in logistics units, and were rarely sent to combat units. The soldiers of the 91st Engineering Battalion were all black and led by white officers.
■ Brooks from World War II (left) and the 91st Engineering Battalion logo (right).
After training in battle, Brooks boarded a ship with the 91st Engineering Battalion in New York Harbor on March 4, 1942, and after more than a month of sailing, arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on April 9, and then worked on airport construction missions in Queensland, and then expanded to the 91st Engineering Regiment on July 10. Brooks recalled after the war that while troops were stationed in Australia, black soldiers were treated better than when they were in the United States.
■ A large military airfield near Moresby during World War II, one of the masterpieces of the 91st Engineering Regiment.
In August 1942, the 91st Engineer Regiment was sent to the Moresby Front, when the Japanese had landed on the northern shore of the Papua Peninsula and were attempting to cross the Stanley Mountains to capture this important town in northern Australia. Engineering Corps 91 was fully responsible for infrastructure works in the area around Moresby, including the construction of an airfield, the construction of defensive positions, the construction of water supply systems, roads and bridges, among others. By December 1943, the regiment was the only U.S. engineering unit in the Moresby area, building a considerable number of military facilities that contributed to the Successful Allied repulsion of the Japanese offensive and was awarded the President's Collective Commendation. In October 1944, the 91st Engineering Corps was transferred to Biak Island to build and maintain the airport, and was redeployed to the Philippines in August 1945. Due to its outstanding performance in the later stages of the war, the 91st Engineer Regiment was awarded the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, transferred to the Reserve Force in 1946, returned to active service three times after the war, and is currently part of the 1st Cavalry Division.
■ In April 1943, the 91st Engineering Regiment held a military funeral for officers and soldiers who died in air crashes.
Brooks survived the Pacific War in the 91st Engineer Corps, and although he served in the logistics force and never participated in front-line combat, he also experienced the test of life and death. When the transport aircraft failed during an airlift cable and almost crashed, Brusque could only throw the cargo out with the crew members to reduce weight, and finally turned the crisis into safety and landed safely. After the war, Brooks retired with the rank of first class, returned to Louisiana, and settled in New Orleans as a forklift driver. He went through two marriages over the long years, raised 5 children, and had 13 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren under his knees. In 2005, Brooks' wife tragically died in Hurricane Katrina, leaving him alone in his later years, but he remained in good health with his children and grandchildren, with few major illnesses except for the decline in vision in his left eye.
On September 12, 2019, Brusque was surrounded by three female singers on his 110th birthday, who sang for him.
■ The female singer left a red lip on Brooks's vicissitudes face, a very American mark.
Since the mid-2010s, as a hundred-year-old World War II veteran, Brooks began to enjoy national courtesy, every year by the National World War II Museum for his birthday celebrations, on the day of his 111th birthday in 2020, the organizers held an aerial parade above Brusque's residence, composed of multiple World War II military aircraft representing victory in a V-shaped formation, to pay tribute to the veteran, in addition to inviting female vocal trio to sing his live songs of the 40s to help him. On the occasion of Brooks' 112th birthday, Louisiana Governor John Bell Edwards personally congratulated and tweeted birthday wishes: "Mr. Brooks, all Louisiana thank you for your service, and we all wish you a happy birthday!" ”
■ At the 112th birthday event, the female vocal trio is still a reserved program.
■ Louisiana Gov. Edwards personally expressed birthday wishes to Brooks.