A Hero's Funeral: PFC Thomas Franklin "Frank" Brooks Is Laid To Rest

Hundreds Pack Small Cemetery To Pay Respect

The flagged-draped casket of POW PFC Frank Brooks rests between two soldiers at his funeral today at Hill Grove Cemetery.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Prisoner of war hero PFC Thomas Franklin "Frank" Brooks was laid to rest today in his final earthly home at Hill Grove Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery beside his parents, Charles Smith and Francis Isabell Priddy Brooks, after 81 years of waiting.

PFC Brooks and his brother Easol enlisted in the Army together in January of 1941. Easol was sent to Texas while Frank was assigned to D Company, 192nd Battalion at Fort Knox, KY.

Frank arrived in the Philippines on November 20, 1941, just 18 days before an attack from the Japanese, beginning the Battle of Bataan. Frank and his fellow soldiers fought for four months with no outside help and few provisions. Frank was wounded in battle and was moved to a field hospital during this time period. Gerald Carroll, U.S. Army (ret) and great nephew of Frank Brooks, who spoke at today's service, said he even hated to use the word "hospital."

"It wasn't a bunch of people running around in white coats, I can tell you that," he said as he addressed the crowd today. Carroll was instrumental in the bringing of PFC Brooks back home to his community.

"He was on a cot somewhere under a tent like this. They called that a hospital. He missed the (Bataan) death march because of that. I guess that was a little bit of good fortune, but not much."

The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell via San Fernando in April of 1942.

"Later on, he was moved to that prison camp and survived for eight months, a brutal eight months," Carroll said.

PFC Brooks succumbed to famine and disease while in the camp and died on December 10, 1942. He was buried in a communal grave with eight other soldiers. As the war ended in 1945, the U.S. Army knew where he was buried but did not know which of the remains were his. Some of the nine were identified, but Brooks was not and his family wasn't informed of his death until seven months later. His remains were moved to the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines and buried as an unknown.

Throughout the years as technology improved, his last surviving sibling, a sister named Eula who died the next year, was able to provide a DNA sample that would aid in the identification of Frank some years later. On June 21, 2023, he was positively identified as Thomas Franklin Brooks and the final chapter of his heroic story began as preparations were made to bring him home.

Today, Carroll was emotional as he told stories about how the family never gave up hope of bringing him home, reading letters sent to the U.S. Army from family members.

"After we submitted DNA from aunt Eula, it started the process," Carroll said. "In 2018 they removed him from his grave and started trying to identify him. Five years later in June of this year, we got the call that Uncle Frank had been identified. We started contacting the family and it was universal. Bring him home. Bury him beside Mom and Dad."

Frank's nephews received his medals at the funeral today, which included the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, POW Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense Medal. They were presented by Brigadier General Brian Wertzler, Deputy AG of the Kentucky Air National Guard.

There was also a presentation of the USS Batann Flag to Frank's niece, Zelda Foster from U.S. Navy Commander Pete Scott Logsdon (a great nephew).

General Wertzler presented the folded flag from the casket to Frank's oldest living nieces,  Georgia Bell Childress and Mary Langdon. The service ended with a 21-gun salute, the playing of "Taps," and the singing of "Beulah Land" by the Hill Grove Church Choir.

Decorations of flags and yellow ribbons were placed all over the county during the past week, including 600 American flags on poles that lined Brier Creek Road and Dickey's Mill Road, all the way up to the church. Hundreds were packed into the small church cemetery.

Patton Funeral Home, Brownsville Chapel was in charge of arrangements.