Funeral for oldest WWII veteran in New Orleans, USA

Family and friends of a New Orleans man who was the oldest World War II veteran when he died earlier in January gathered to remember him at a ceremony in a museum memorializing the war on Saturday.

The service for Lawrence Brooks, who died on Jan. 5 at the age of 112, was held at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

After the service a traditional jazz procession followed before Brooks was taken to Mount Olivet Cemetery in New Orleans to be laid to rest.

Brooks was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1940.

After Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, he was assigned to the mostly Black 91st Engineer General Service Regiment stationed in Australia.

The 91st was a unit that built bridges, roads and airstrips for planes.