https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/mel-brooks.htmlsample quotes
When Brooks was just two years old, he lost his father to tuberculosis, a death that he himself later said likely influenced his take on comedy. “There’s an outrage there,” he said. “I may be angry at God, or at the world, for that. And I’m sure a lot of my comedy is based on anger and hostility.”
..snip..
In 1944, while in his senior year of high school, a recruiter with the US Army told Mel Brooks and his classmates that they could join the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) if they were smart enough. Not only would this allow them to graduate that much earlier, but they’d also be allowed to attend a college paid for by the government.
...snip..
Brooks first arrived in France, before moving to Belgium, where he was assigned as a forward artillery observer with the 78th Infantry Division. He was later transferred to the division’s 1104th Engineer Combat Group and served as a combat engineer throughout the Battle of the Bulge.
Over the course of the engagement, the future comedian was tasked with locating German land mines, at which point a specialist would be charged with neutralizing the explosives. On five separate occasions, the 1104th were sent to the frontlines, enduring a number of casualties in combat, and they were also forced to contend with German propaganda being blasted from loudspeakers, which Brooks claims he counteracted by playing music by Jewish musician Al Jolson.
Following the Battle of the Bulge, the 1104th constructed Bailey bridges over the Roer and Rhine rivers, after which they were tasked with a reconnaissance operation in the Harz Mountains. In May 1945, following the end of World War II in Europe, it’s reported that Brooks met several survivors from concentration camps, encounters that forever left an impression on him.
..snip..
Throughout the 2000s and ’10s, Brooks has lent himself to animated features, the most notable of which are Robots (2005) and the Hotel Transylvania franchise. Now well into his 90s, he’s one of the few stars to be the recipient of an EGOT, meaning he’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
end quote
