Colonel Harold Eugene Brooks

  General Notes:

The 1940 Federal Census for Highlands, Orange Co., New York, District 36-31B, page 406A, dated April 17, 1940 records Harold (34 - Michigan) and Jane (25 - Vermont) with their daughter Susiana (5 - Philippines) renting for $60 / month at 115D Washington Road. Harold is an Army Officer earning $2,100 working 52 weeks during the last year. The family was living in Lansing, Michigan on April 1, 1935.


A tribute from http://apps.westpointaog.org/Memorials/Article/8918/
HAROLD EUGENE BROOKS [, class of 1930] was born in Grand Marais, Michigan on 18 March 1906 [Grand Marais is an unincorporated community in Burt Township, Alger County, Michigan]. Originally Harold Bruley, he picked up the Brooks through adoption. "Happy" descended from a migratory group of French-Canadians who initiated the exploration of the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada from Quebec to Saskatchewan. Like his ancestors, Happy was a wanderer. He never spent two consecutive years in the same town during his elementary schooling. The military was his love. During World War I he lived in Sault Sainte Marie and spent his time at Fort Brandy, then a training post for the Great War. He became the mascot for the teams of an Infantry company whose commander had tried, and failed, to enter West Point. The commander vowed that the mascot would go in his place.

Schooling was difficult, for the head of the family was a working widow. From the sixth grade on, Happy worked, taking on any and all sorts of tasks. This kept him separated from his family (mother Anna Marie and sister Isabel) much of the time. He completed high school in Lansing, worked a year at two jobs to get the funds for a college education, and studied two years at Michigan State College before being selected for the Military Academy.

The Michigan National Guard had seen the beginning of his military career. He was in the Artillery there, and naturally selected that branch upon graduation. After departure from the Artillery School in 1937 he was given a four-year detail at West Point in the Department of Chemistry and Electricity.

He married Jane Bartlett, an Army daughter. Their first child, Susan, was born in the Philippines in 1934 during a terrific hurricane in which five ships were washed up on Dewey Boulevard and two entire villages carried out to sea. Their second child, James, had a perfectly normal birth at West Point. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963. Gretchen was born in Hawaii the night the Japanese attacked in 1941. What do you say when girls start wars and hurricanes and boys keep all calm and quiet? Hap's words to Jane were: "Let's not have any more girl babies." And they never did!

Happy got his nickname from Hall Stokes who, along with Sandy Stone, was his plebe roommate. Other roommates were Ernie Holtzen, Jack Rothschild and Ace Goodwin. Hap's athletics consisted mostly of tennis. He was captain of the USMA team during his First Class Year. He continued his avocation after graduation, becoming champion of the Philippines Department in 1934 and 1935. He was a Leech Cup Army-Navy player and the officer in charge of tennis at West Point from 1940-41.

After Hawaii, Hap taught gunnery to officer candidates at Fort Sill; spent a year in the Replacement and School Command in Birmingham; attended C&GSC at Leavenworth; and was ready for combat in Germany. He got there just in time to check the "K" and fire the last salvo. The war ended when he was in Cologne as executive officer of the 417th Field Artillery Group. After the war he commanded two successive battalions and took a short tour in Paris, suppposedly to learn the French language. Later, he became Special Services officer of the Third Army, ending up in charge of the Special Services of the entire American Occupied Zone of Germany.

He returned to the U.S. and the Armed Forces Staff College. Then came Fort Sam Houston and trouble. Cancer was the problem. A radical operation was performed and the future looked bleak. Hap refused the 100% disability offered and fought, successfully, to remain in the service. He selected the personnel and trained and commanded I Corps Artillery Headquarters at Fort Bragg and got it ready to go to Korea. At the last minute the medics refused to let him go with the unit because of post-operative trouble.

Then he got a break\emdash a chance to go overseas, now allowed by the medics, as assistant commander of the VII Corps Artillery. He continued on the job and finished the tour by commanding the 35th Field Artillery Group for a year. Next came a three-year tour as chief of the Utah Military District and post commander of Fort Douglas. His last three years in the service were as headquarters commandant of the Fourth Army at Fort Sam Houston.

Three years of teaching at the Texas Military Academy in San Antonio got him ready for complete retirement. He was content to pursue tennis, golf, fishing, swimming and boating at his lake cottage on Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, and to wander the globe with his wife, Leona. Happy was married three times, and each of his wives was a credit to West Point and the service.

He led a full and happy life.

The above is his "obit" as Happy prepared it. During his last year, Happy was treated for heart trouble at Fort Sam Houston. He seemed to be doing well, and his morale was good. However, he was struck by a sudden aneurysm, and died on 17 September 1993. He donated his body to the University of Texas for research. Happy was a credit to his class, the Academy and the service. He brightened the lives of those with whom he worked and played. He will be sorely missed.

  Research Notes:

The 1910 Federal Census for Burt, Alger Co., Michigan, District 2, page 81B, dated April 27, 1910 records Harold Bruley (4 - Michigan/Michigan/Michigan) living with his mother Annie Bruly (21 - Michigan/Canadian(French)/Canadian(French)). Annie indicates she has been married for 5 years and has had 1 child. Annie and Harold are living with Annie's parents, Joseph D. Enough (50 - Can.French/Can.French/Can.French) and Adelene Enough (48 - Can.French/Can.French/Can.French). Joseph is a Laborer in a Lumber Camp and has been married to Adelene for 29 years. They have had 5 children of whom 1 is still living. Joseph immigrated to the U. S. in 1873 while Adelene immigrated to the U. S. in 1880.

The 1900 Federal Census for Burt, Alger Co., Michigan, District 3, page 80B, dated June 1, 1900 records Harold Bruley's mother Annie M. Enough (May 1888 - Michigan/Canadian(French)/Canadian(French)) with her parents, Joseph D. Enough (Sept 1860 - Can.French/Can.French/Can.French) and Adeline C. Enough (July 1861 - Can.French/Can.French/Can.French) and sister Minnie E. A. Enough (June 1890 - Michigan/Canadian(French)/Canadian(French)). Joseph is a Long Shoreman and has been married to Adelene for 18 years. They have had 3 children of whom 2 are still living. Joseph immigrated to the U. S. in 1880.

Harold married Jane B. Bartlett, daughter of Colonel William McKay Bartlett M. D. and Audrey Vivian Ballantyne, circa 1934. (Jane B. Bartlett was born on 3 Nov 1914 in Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont and died on 26 May 2004 in Jacksonville Beach, Duval Co., Florida.)

Harold next married Leona Lucy Ferrandou on 21 Feb 1967 in Bexar Co., Texas. (Leona Lucy Ferrandou was born on 23 Nov 1909, died on 23 Dec 1998 and was buried in Fort Sam Houston Cemetery, San Antonio, Bexar Co., Texas.)

  Marriage Notes:

Texas, Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2011
Name: Harold Eugene Brooks
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1907
Age: 60
Marriage Date: 21 Feb 1967
Marriage Place: Bexar, Texas, USA
Spouse: Leona Ferrandou
Spouse Gender: Female
Spouse Age: 57
Source: Texas Marriage Index, 1966-2002