Bobby Brooks

By James Carroll

Bobby Brooks had a pilot’s license when he was only 14 years old. He had a part time job at Lane Air Service in Oxford, Alabama. Part of Bobby’s pay was in flight time that he could use at his own will.

Bobby used to take us along with him on some of his time in flight.

One evening in about 1950 or 1951 after flying for about an hour, we were not quite ready to go home. We decided to take a drive down to Talladega, a small town about 20 miles away. Along the way, we were looking at the Christmas lights as it was getting close to Christmas time. When we got to Talladega, we drove around the Court House Square and headed back to Anniston.

I remember that Bobby was driving and I was in the passenger seat and I think that Roy Sparks was the third person in the car.

Just outside of town on the right was three houses about 50 yards from the highway. As we passed one of the houses we saw their Christmas tree was on fire so we quickly turned around and drove up to the house. We could not get anyone to the door so we just went on in and started moving stuff outside. (Back in those days, most people didn’t lock their doors at night). Bobby and I were moving a big chair that was next to the Christmas tree and burning, while Roy went through the house looking for the people. He found them in a back bedroom and woke them up. The man, his wife and little girl were all okay and came out to help us put out the fire.

After it was all over and the fire was out, the man shook our hand and told us how much he appreciated what we did, then we drove back home. We can’t be sure that we saved those people’s lives but we do know that we saved their Christmas.

What made us drive to Talladega? We had never done that before. I believe that God led us that night.

One day, not long after that Bobby and I went skating at the rink on Noble street. Bobby was a natural born skater and was soon skating backward and dance stepping. In comparison, after I had been skating for a couple of months, I was still trying not to fall; it was like round and round, straight line, Lord don't let me fall! When Bobby was younger he took dancing lessons at Zenobia King Hill Dance School. His dancing ability fit right in with his love for skating. He had all the girls at the rink dancing with him. He loved skating so much that he didn't want do any of the things we used to do.

I went into the U. S. Army in November of 1953 and spent most of my enlistment in Germany. It was some time after I returned home from the army that I saw Bobby again. He was owner of a Radio and TV Repair shop in Weaver, Alabama, his shop was in the middle of town at the four way stop.

Bobby said that he had also been in the army and had been in communications where he learned to repair radios and TVs. He had also been stationed in Germany and married a German girl.