A Phone Call Leads To A New Roof For The Oldest World War II Veteran

The oldest-known World War II veteran will now be able to safely stay in his home after volunteers plan to fix his leaking roof. When Lawrence Brooks turned 111 in September, he was honored with a celebration, parade, and more than 10,000 cards from people all around the country. He also received a call from Governor John Bel Edwards that ended up answering his daughter's prayers.

According to NOLA, Lawrence's daughter, Vanessa Brooks, overheard their conversation and what seemed like Gov. Edwards asking Lawrence if he needed anything. It turns out, he did. His roof has been leaking as a result of poor post-Katrina construction. Within a couple hours of his conversation with the governor, someone was at their door. As it turns out, the Central South Carpenters Regional Council purchased nearly $10,000 of materials, and volunteers from Local 1846 in New Orleans and Local 1098 in Baton Rouge will reframe and shingle the entire roof, NOLA reports.

A new roof is not a cheap expense, and with Lawrence and Vanessa's combined incomes, it was one they could not afford. For years, Vanessa called charities asking for help and put her name on lists for repairs, but all she could do was pray, she said.

"Maybe, for some reason, God wanted to use Governor Edwards to help us," she said. "Or maybe it was that my daddy had to be the one to ask."

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