(UnitedVoice.com) – America spent the first week of the new year mourning the loss of actress Betty White who died on December 31, just two weeks before her 100th birthday. And while they were celebrating her life, they received even more devastating news: an American hero has also passed away.
The National WWII Museum is deeply saddened by the loss of beloved WWII veteran Mr. Lawrence Brooks, who passed away this morning. At 112 years old, he was the oldest surviving WWII veteran in the country.
— National WWII Museum (@WWIImuseum) January 5, 2022
On January 5, the National WWII Museum announced the death of Lawrence N. Brooks. The 112-year-old was the oldest living WWII veteran before he passed away on Wednesday. He was drafted into the US Army in 1940, where he served in the 91st Engineer General Service Regiment. As a soldier he helped build airstrips, bridges and roads.
At that time, black soldiers like Brooks weren’t allowed to serve in combat positions. Col. Peter Crean, the vice president of education and access at the WWII museum, told reporters that the reason for that was “outright racism.”
Despite the obstacles Brooks had to overcome, both in the military and growing up in the Jim Crow South, he didn’t let it get him down. The veteran served his country proudly, doing whatever he could to help defeat Nazi regime. The museum posted a moving tribute to Brooks in the wake of his death.
Brooks is survived by five biological children, five stepchildren, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren – as well as a grateful nation. America shares in their grief.
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