Lawrence Brooks, who was born Sept. 12, 1909, in Norwood, Louisiana, turned 111 today.
Brooks, who was drafted at age 31, served in the U.S. Army as a black man when the armed forces were still segregated. He was a part of the Army’s 91st Engineer Battalion, which was a predominantly black unit that was stationed in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines.
After the war, Brooks worked as a forklift operator until he retired in his 70s, according to National Geographic. His descendants include five children, 13 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.