Celebratory salute; World War II veteran marks 105th birthday at museum

As Lawrence Brooks receives a standing ovation from the crowd, he salutes.

Pfc. Lawrence Brooks is truly a living legend.

Celebrating his 105^th birthday at The National WWII Museum Friday, Brooks thanked God, his family, and his “other family” from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Brooks was accompanied on stage by his daughter, Vanessa, and the Rev. Ed Thompson, pastor at St. Luke’s.

“Be nice to people,” Brooks said to the crowd of supporters, spilling his secret to longevity. “That’s all you gotta do, just be nice to people.”

The middle son of 14 children, Brooks was born Sept. 12, 1909, in Norwood, LA. He was honored for his two years and nine months of service with the 91^st Engineer Battalion.

He received a pile of framed proclamations, letters and honors, a handful of medallions, a service coin, a birthday cake, and a sultry “Happy Birthday” serenade from the Victory Belles as part of the celebration.

The National WWII Museum has Brooks’s oral history recorded in its collection, which is also available on YouTube. Visit http://www.nationalww2museum.org for more information.