For some, being called the oldest isn’t appealing. But for World War II veteran Lawrence Brooks, it’s an honor. Brooks is America’s oldest WWII veteran, and he’s about to celebrate his 111^th birthday.

Born Sept. 12, 1909, Brooks was raised in Norwood, La. During WWII, he served in the predominantly African-American 91^st Engineer Battalion, which was stationed in New Guinea and then the Philippines. Private First Class Brooks was one of more than 1.2 million African-Americans who served in the segregated U.S. Armed Forces in WWII.

For the past five years, Brooks has celebrated his birthday at The National WWII Museum. Due to the pandemic, the traditional gathering can’t take place, but museum officials are asking Louisianans to send Brooks at birthday card to commemorate his special day. Cards can be mailed to the museum at:

The National WWII Museum
c/o Happy 111^th Mr. Brooks!
945 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70130