Happy birthday to Lawrence Brooks. The New Orleans Central City resident celebrated his 111th birthday this past weekend.
The party included a socially distant performance from the WWII Museum's Victory Belles, a 4 plane military-style flyover and 10,000 cards sent from all over the world. And cake.
Lawrence Brooks was born September 12, 1909, and went on to serve in the predominately Black 91st Engineer Battalion in New Guinea and the Philippines during the war.
He was drafted at age 31 and served in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion, which was stationed in New Guinea and then the Philippines during World War II, a time when the military was still segregated. He eventually reached the rank of Private 1st Class. He turned 111 on Sept. 12, 2020. He has five children, 13 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.