The oldest World War II veteran in the United States has died at the age of 112 years.

Lawrence N Brooks, the oldest World War II soldier in the United States – and possibly the oldest man in the country – died on Wednesday at the age of 112 years. The National WWII Museum declared his death, which his daughter confirmed. Brooks, who was born on September 12, 1909, was well-known for his good-natured sense of humor, optimism, and friendliness. When asked what his secret to living a long life was, he frequently said, "serving God and being nice to people." According to Col Pete Crean, vice-president of education and access at the museum in New Orleans, most African Americans serving in the segregated US armed services at the start of WWII were assigned to non-combat units and reassigned to service roles such as supply, maintenance, and transportation. "There was no other way to characterize it but pure racism," Crean added. "I don't have any grudges towards anybody," Brooks said in a 2014 oral history interview with the museum. "All I want is for everything to be gorgeous and to turn out correctly." I want people to have fun and enjoy themselves; I want them to be happy rather than depressed." Brooks was known to sit on the front porch of the double shotgun house he lived with child Vanessa Brooks in New Orleans' Central City area on sunny days. Neighbors would greet the local celebrity with a wave and bring him soda and food. Brooks was a die-hard Saints fan who never missed a game, according to his daughter. His church, St Luke's Episcopal, was particularly dear to him, and until the coronavirus outbreak, he never missed a Sunday service. Brooks' family relocated to the Mississippi Delta when he was an infant from Norwood, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. His parents educated him all they could at home because he was one of 15 children and resided too far from the closest school. Brooks was recruited into the United States army in 1940 while working at a sawmill. He was deployed to the predominantly black 91st engineer general service unit stationed in Australia after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Due to troop losses later in the war, the military was compelled to start deploying more African American troops into combat situations. Fewer than 4,000 African Americans served in the military in 1941. By 1945, the figure had risen to over 1.2 million. Brooks served in the 91st Engineer Battalion, which built bridges, roads, and airstrips for planes. Brooks was tasked with looking after three white policemen. His responsibilities included cooking, driving, and caring for their belongings. According to his daughter, Brooks did not frequently talk publicly about the persecution he and other black troops suffered during the war, or the hostility he and his family faced in the Jim Crow south. He served as a forklift operator after returning from duty until his retirement in his 60s. He is the father of five children, five stepchildren, and a large number of grandkids and great-grandchildren. Soon after Hurricane Katrina, he lost his wife, Leona. His home was damaged in the 2005 tragedy. Then, in his late 90s, he was helicoptered from the top of his house. He was described as "resilient" by his daughter. "He's gone through a lot in his life. One thing I learnt from him is that he's a pretty tough guy. "If nothing else, he taught me to try my best and not to worry about what you can't accomplish," she told the Associated Press. "I believe that is why he has lived so long." The museum began throwing him yearly birthday parties after his 105th birthday. Watching the Victory Belles, a trio playing 1940s song, was his favorite part of the celebration. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the museum put on a parade in front of his house with brass bands and full-dressed Zulu warriors.