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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

"Strict attention to duty and selflessness in official endeavors," has always characterized Lt Col Leon A. Brooks often-commended service since his enlistment as a Private in the Louisiana National Guard on 11 December 1932, barely two months after his eighteenth birthday.
He accepted a reserve commission 8 July 1939 from the National Guard State Headquarters at New Orleans, Louisiana where he was born and raised. Called to active service as 1st Lt in 1940, he felt the oncoming tides of war and transferred to the Air Corps in 1941 where he was assigned to the 122nd Observation Squadron of the 68th Observation Group until 1943. During the period, he served as supply officer, executive officer during the invasion flight of the squadron to Oran, Algeria, commander of the flight echelon of the Group and liaison officer to the French army and government.
"When the 68th Observation Group was assigned to the XII Fighter Training Command in April 1943, he directed the construction of two new airbases south of Casablanca in North Africa. The Training Command was disbanded except for a cadre which became the 6564th Training Squadron to train French pilots and mechanics in which he served as executive officer and commander until the organization was disbanded in 1944. Col Brooks was subsequently assigned as S-4 to the 1st Fighter Group where his talents for organization and direction earned him a Bronze Star Medal for nine (9) executed involvements under extremely difficult field conditions in Italy without any loss of combat time to the Group.
Back in the ZI, after having seen action in the Balkan, Rhineland, N. Apennines and Po Valley campaigns, he served as Assistant Supervisor of Supply and Maintenance in Barksdale Air Force Base, Personnel Manager and Adjutant at the Selective Service Headquarters in Louisiana and was released from active service August 1947 as Lt Colonel at the request of the Adjutant General of Louisiana to assist in reorganizing the Louisiana Air National Guard. He became responsible for the two airbases assigned to Louisiana. ,

In August. 1948, he returned to active duty at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, serving in the various capacities as base accountable officer, executive officer and commander of the 3750th Supply Squadron, supply officer and commander of the 3750th Maintenance and Supply Group which he was instrumental in organizing.
He played a key pioneer role as commander of the 3320th Maintenance and Supply Group in addition to being Wing Materiel Officer of the 3320th Technical Training Wing, in the establishment and subsequent operation of the Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas in 1951. While assigned in this base Col Brooks completed the Purchasing and Contracting Course in Dayton, Ohio, the Air Force Manpower Management Course at George Washington University and the Logistics Staff Officers' Course at the Air Command and Staff School.
In 1953, Col Brooks was assigned to the 6203rd Port Squadron in Manila, Philippines as Director of Materiel, and later Executive Officer until April 1954. He was assigned to the 6202nd Air Base Squadron Camp John Hay in Baguio, Philippines as Executive Officer and then in May 1954 he became Commander of Camp John Hay. In this station, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Philippines and enrolled in the Graduate School of Political Science in the same university.
The Colonel holds the Bronze Star Medal, French Observer Wing and the Order of Quissam Avion Alaouite from the Sultan of Morocco.

Before departing the Philippines in November 195 Lt. Col., Brooks was cited by the PRESIDENT of the Philippines, Mr. Raymond Magsaysay at a dinner in his honor held in the President's Palace in Manila, as follows: "I wish you to know that your tour of duty in this country has been most fruitful in so far as your sincere efforts to further strengthen the ties of friendship between the Filipino and American peoples are concerned."
In January 1955 Lt. Col. Brooks attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va., completing the course in June 1955. He was assigned to the Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization composed of Military and Civilian persons from ten nations located at Norfolk, Va. in July 1955 His duty on this NATO international staff concerns logistic planning for the integrated forces of the NATO nations composing the Allied Atlantic Command under Admiral Jerauld Wright.
In April 1956, Lt. Col. Brooks attended the Special Weapons Indoctrination Course, conducted by the Navy at Norfolk, Va., completing the course.
Col. Brooks is assigned to the Supreme Allied Command Atlantic at this time.