Kanishka Sharma

(Reuters) – Lawrence Brooks, the oldest surviving U.S. vet who served in World War Two was referred by President Joe Biden to as “truly America’s best”, and he passed away on Wednesday, aged 112.

The National WWII Museum announced his death. However, the museum did not disclose the reason for his death.

Brooks, an African American, was drafted in to the U.S. Army when he was 31 years of age. Brooks spent World War Two as a member of the predominantly African American 91st Engineer Battalion. His stationed included New Guinea, Australia, and the Philippines.

The National WWII Museum stated that he was classified as a service person and that he helped to cook for three of the battalion’s white officers.

“As the nation’s oldest known living veteran, he proudly served our country during World War II, and returned home to serve his community and church”, said Stephen Watson, the museum’s president.

Leona, his wife of 58 years, passed away in November 2008. He is survived by 13 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.

“I had a chance to speak with him last January, and he truly was the best in America. I’m keeping his loved ones in my prayers”, Biden said on Twitter (NYSE:).

In World War Two the U.S. Military was still divided by race. Brooks once stated, recalling this era that he felt treated differently in Australia to the United States.

“It was so much more pleasant to be treated in Australia than by my family of white people.” He was quoted by the museum as saying, “I wonder about that.”

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 240,000 of the 16,000,000 U.S. vets who served in World War Two were still alive at Sept. 20, 2121.

According to the museum, Brooks was proud of his service in the military but his memories were not always clear.

Brooks stated once that “I had some great times, but I also had some terrible times.”