Posted on 10/16/2019
Donald Henry Brooks, B/Gen, USMC (Ret.) (June 6, 1922 - October 12, 2019)
BGen Donald Henry Brooks, USMC (Ret)
Donald H. Brooks, age 97 died at Falcons Landing on October 12, 2019.
Don was born in Turlock CA and attended public schools in Redlands. Desiring to attend the Naval Academy and unable to receive an appointment, he enlisted in the Marine Corps upon graduating from High School. While serving in the Marine Detachment aboard the USS New Orleans, he passed the entrance exam to the U.S. Naval Academy, which he entered in 1941 as a member of the class of 1945. After graduation from the Academy in 1944, he served for 30 years and attained the rank of Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps.
Lt Brooks received infantry training at the Marine Corps Base, Quantico before assignment to the 1st Marine Division in combat on Okinawa as a platoon commander for which he received a Bronze Star, followed by combat assignments with the 1st Marine Division in Korea and the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam.
Following graduation from the Navy Radar Course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lt Brooks worked on guided missile development at the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University and guided missile testing at the Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California. Later he was assigned to the Research and Development Branch of the Defense Atomic Support Agency and finally as Deputy Chief of Staff (Research, Development and Studies) at Headquarters Marine Corps. He served in many overseas Fleet Marine Corps assignments at the company, battalion and regimental level, culminating in his final assignment as Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa.
In addition to the U.S. Naval Academy, General Brooks graduated from MIT (BS Electrical Engineering), UCLA (MS Electronics Engineering) and the NATO Defense College, Rome Italy.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, General Brooks worked for Logicon, developing data links for the AEGIS cruisers and destroyers. He was very active in his Naval Academy Class, three times serving as president of the Class Association and once as president of the Class Foundation. He served on the Board of Governors of the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia and was Chairman of the Tennis Committee for nine years and led the construction of its Indoor Tennis Facilities. For many years he helped run the National Men’s 75/80 Clay Courts Tennis Championships and for three years was the Tournament Director.
General Brooks’ first wife, Nancy, whom he met in high school and married in1949, died in 1971. Marilou, whom he married in 1973, died in 2007. He is survived by his third wife, Rosemary (Hsu), of 10 years; three sons, Russel and David Brooks and David Hsu; two daughters Robin Brooks and Cindy Hsu; three daughters-in-law, Shelley Brooks, Edith Mailolo and Christensen Hsu; and six grandchildren, Rachel and Thomas Brooks, Ping, Rosie, Meilani, and Lilyann Hsu.
A memorial service will be held on Monday October 28, 2019 at 2 p.m. at 20522 Falcons Landing Circle, Potomac Falls, VA 20165. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery will follow at a later date.
Money and King Funeral Home and Cremation Services
171 Maple Avenue W
Vienna, VA 22180
Phone: (703) 938-7440
https://www.moneyandking.com/obituaries/Donald-Henry-Brooks-BGen-USMC-Ret?obId=8203425#/obituaryInfo