Robert H. Brooks
Sadieville, Scott County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Robert H. Brooks (1915-1941). Born Oct. 8, 1915, in Sadieville, this African American entered an "all white" National Guard unit before WW II began. As a private in Co. D, 192nd Tank Battalion, he was stationed in the Philippine Islands. Brooks was killed on Dec. 8, 1941, during the initial Japanese bombing of Clark Field, near Fort Stotsenburg. (Reverse) Robert H. Brooks (1915-1941) - Brooks, at age 26, was officially declared the first U. S. Armored Forces casualty of WW II. He is buried in the American-Manila Cemetery in the Philippine Islands. The main parade ground at Fort Knox was named Brooks Field in his honor on December 23, 1941. Presented by City of Sadieville, Scott County Fiscal Court, and American Legion Scott Post No. 24.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Robert H. Brooks left Sadieville in the years before World War II and entered a National Guard tank unit that had been all-white, serving as a private in the 192nd Tank Battalion in the Philippines. On December 8, 1941 — hours after Pearl Harbor — he was killed during the first Japanese bombing of Clark Field. Officially recognized as the first U.S. Armored Forces casualty of the war, he was honored when Fort Knox named its main parade ground Brooks Field just weeks later.
Why it matters
Brooks's death and the swift honoring of his name at Fort Knox underscore both the sacrifice of African Americans in a segregated military and the opening moments of America's entry into World War II.
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Related people
- · Robert H. Brooks
Related events
- · Japanese bombing of Clark Field
- · World War II
Themes & tags
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