"I'm thinking, This must the end; the island must be secure." (Video Interview, 15:44)

Gilmon Brooks

Gilmon Brooks [detail from video] War: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Marine Corps; Army; Navy Unit: 8th Marine Ammunition Company; 24th Infantry Regiment Service Location: Pacific Theater; Iwo Jima; also: Korea Rank: Corporal; Chief Warrant Officer Place of Birth: WI

Growing up in a military family on an Army base in Arizona, African American Gilmon Brooks saw the value of serving his country in uniform from an early age. He volunteered for the Marines during World War II, knowing he would be serving in a segregated unit. On Iwo Jima, distinctions of race melted away in the fight for survival. Once Brooks saw the U.S. flag raised on Mt. Surabachi, he mistakenly thought the island had been secured. A few days later, an injury put him out of commission for the rest of the war, but he decided to make a career in the Marines.