Hospital Apprentice Brooks was attached to Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action with multiple leg wounds while tending his wounded comrades on 9 June 1951.

Brooks was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.