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Oldest Living US Veteran Celebrates His 112th Birthday

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Sunday marked Lawrence Brooks’ 112th birthday, prompting his title of the Oldest Living US Veteran. He celebrated with a drive-by party at his New Orleans home hosted by the National World War II Museum. (The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate). 

He received best wishes from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, who tweeted, “Mr. Brooks, the entire state of Louisiana thanks you for your service, and we all wish you a joyous birthday.”

The museum continuously hosts parties for Brooks. However, the coronavirus pandemic has caused these events to compromise into drive-by celebrations for the past two years.

This year’s festivities included:

  • A Jeep parade.
  • A live performance from the museum vocal trio.
  • Entertainment from New Orleans musicians.

The city also recognized Brooks’ birthday with an official proclamation.

Born in 1909 in Norwood, Louisiana, Brooks has lived in New Orleans since 1929. He was drafted in 1940 and served as a private in the Army’s Black 91st Engineer Battalion. This unit was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines and built bridges, roads, and airstrips.

In a video posted on YouTube about his service and history, Brooks described one of his most prominent memories. On a mission to deliver a load of barbed wire to the front lines, one of the engines of the C-47 he was traveling in gave out. 

After releasing the barbed wire to conserve weight, he made his way to the cockpit. The plane was going down, and he noticed the two pilots had the only parachutes on the aircraft. He told them that since they were the only two with parachutes, he would grab on to one of them if they had to jump for it.

“We made it, though,” he said, laughing. “We had a big laugh about that.”

A Mission To Serve Our Heroes

If you or anyone you know served in the military, you may need help obtaining a fair disability rating and compensation. Contact Veteran Ratings. Veteran Ratings has a 95% chance of success in acquiring the rating and benefits you deserve.

Have a question? On the fence? Contact us for more information. We are here for you — we proudly serve those who served. Veterans are our only priority because they made this the land of the free through their bravery and sacrifice.

 

Get The Benefits You Deserve

contact one of our consultants today for a free evaluation of your VA claim

learn more
James Cooper
James Cooper
James Cooper comes from a long line of Veterans and decided to enlist for the Marine Corps at the ripe age of 18-years-old following in his father's footsteps. Shortly after being medically discharged from the service, James decided to pursue a career in journalism. Having battled with the VA for years himself, he began to study the system and commit his career to help fellow disabled veterans.

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Oldest Living US Veteran Celebrates His 112th Birthday

Sunday marked Lawrence Brooks’ 112th birthday, prompting his title of the Oldest Living US Veteran. He celebrated with a drive-by party at his New Orleans home hosted by the National World War II Museum. (The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate). 

He received best wishes from Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, who tweeted, “Mr. Brooks, the entire state of Louisiana thanks you for your service, and we all wish you a joyous birthday.”

The museum continuously hosts parties for Brooks. However, the coronavirus pandemic has caused these events to compromise into drive-by celebrations for the past two years.

This year’s festivities included:

  • A Jeep parade.
  • A live performance from the museum vocal trio.
  • Entertainment from New Orleans musicians.

The city also recognized Brooks’ birthday with an official proclamation.

Born in 1909 in Norwood, Louisiana, Brooks has lived in New Orleans since 1929. He was drafted in 1940 and served as a private in the Army’s Black 91st Engineer Battalion. This unit was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines and built bridges, roads, and airstrips.

In a video posted on YouTube about his service and history, Brooks described one of his most prominent memories. On a mission to deliver a load of barbed wire to the front lines, one of the engines of the C-47 he was traveling in gave out. 

After releasing the barbed wire to conserve weight, he made his way to the cockpit. The plane was going down, and he noticed the two pilots had the only parachutes on the aircraft. He told them that since they were the only two with parachutes, he would grab on to one of them if they had to jump for it.

“We made it, though,” he said, laughing. “We had a big laugh about that.”

A Mission To Serve Our Heroes

If you or anyone you know served in the military, you may need help obtaining a fair disability rating and compensation. Contact Veteran Ratings. Veteran Ratings has a 95% chance of success in acquiring the rating and benefits you deserve.

Have a question? On the fence? Contact us for more information. We are here for you — we proudly serve those who served. Veterans are our only priority because they made this the land of the free through their bravery and sacrifice.

 

Get The Benefits You Deserve

contact one of our consultants today for a free evaluation of your VA claim

learn more
James Cooper
James Cooper
James Cooper comes from a long line of Veterans and decided to enlist for the Marine Corps at the ripe age of 18-years-old following in his father's footsteps. Shortly after being medically discharged from the service, James decided to pursue a career in journalism. Having battled with the VA for years himself, he began to study the system and commit his career to help fellow disabled veterans.

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