Louis Brooks interview for the Veterans History Project at Atlanta History Center

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Catalog number: VIS 508.005
This interview is conducted by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Atlanta Branch. In this interview, Louis Brooks recalls his experiences serving in the United States Army in the Vietnam War. He describes his upbringing in Brooklyn, New York, and explains that he chose to enlist in the Army to escape his neighborhood and seek better opportunities for himself in life. His Army test scores qualified him to serve as an electronics communications specialist and he describes basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and adapting to military life. He received his specialized training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and received orders to Vietnam. He recalls his first impressions of the country and explains his duties repairing and replacing equipment. He remembers bonding with fellow Black soldiers and explains that their shared culture and life experience, combined with the stresses of combat, created deep friendships between them. He remembers the music they listened to, including talented Vietnamese musicians who could mimic the sound of famous acts such as the Supremes. He recalls communicating with family by postal mail and receiving care packages from home that he shared with his fellow soldiers. He describes returning home and adjusting to civilian life. He worked as a corrections officer, achieving the rank of assistant deputy warden, and retired after 20 years of service and then earned a degree in architecture and moved to Savannah. He reflects on his military experience and the horrors of war and offers advice for those considering military service.