Help the nation’s oldest WWII veteran celebrate his 111th birthday
Since the threat of COVID-19, there won't be a celebration at the museum for Brooks' birthday. Instead, the museum is asking people to send birthday cards that'll be delivered to Mr. Brooks.
During World War II, New Orleans resident Lawrence Brooks served in the Pacific Theater. The predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion helped make runways for planes.
But like much this year, things are different. Since the threat of COVID-19, there won’t be a celebration at the museum for Brooks’ birthday. Instead, the museum is asking people to send birthday cards that’ll be delivered to Mr. Brooks.
The museum is asking all cards be sent by Sept. 1 to:
The National WWII Museum
c/o Happy 111th Mr. Brooks!
945 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Happy birthday Mr. Brooks and thank you for your service! ❤️️ Here are pictures photographer Matthew Hinton took at Mr. Brooks birthday celebration in 2019.
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him America’s oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him ‘Happy Birthday’ in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museum’s ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
U.S. Army veteran Lawrence Brooks celebrates his 110th birthday, making him Americas oldest WWII veteran and a supercentenarian, at the National World War II Museum with the Victory Belles singing him Happy Birthday in New Orleans, La. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. Brooks said the secret to a long life is to be nice to people. Brooks served in the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion that helped make runways for planes. Brooks chuckled as he recounted how he was in a C-47 plane similar to the one hanging in the museums ceiling when the engine failed and only the pilot and co-pilot had parachutes. The Victory Belles are singers recreate 1940s big band singing groups complete with 1940s hairstyles and fashion. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Mary Staes
Mary Staes is Digital Content Lead for Very Local. She works with our freelancers and crafts content for our social media platforms and website. Before Very Local, she worked with CBS affiliate WWL-TV as a web producer and weekend assignment editor for about 4 years. She has also handled broadcast coverage for 160 Marine Reserve training facilities while she served as an active duty Marine. As a native New Orleanian, she takes being "very local" to heart. She loves being intertwined with the culture and figuring out how there are less than two degrees of separation between us all, whether we're natives or not.
