Eighth generation Clark Countian George S. Brooks II traveled to Washington D.C. to donate his grandfather’s historical stamp collection to the National Postal Museum in November as a way of preserving history.

The collection featured over three volumes of postally used envelopes collected by the late George S. Brooks of Winchester, according to a press release.

“For me, this ‘matter’ is not just about the donation of a fine stamp collection,” George S. Brooks II, Brooks’ grandson, said. “It is also about some ordinary people from Winchester, who did some extraordinary things during the Depression and World War II, particularly in terms of their challenges and sacrifices. These people, and people like them, will not be found in the history books or Wikipedia; but their stories are important to tell and preserve.”

Brooks II said his grandfather lived on Boone Avenue most of his life, and maintained a dental practice in Winchester but had to discontinue the practice after he contracted tuberculosis.   

George S. Brooks formed the collection in honor of his son LTJG George S. Brooks, Jr. USN, who was one of 78 men lost at sea aboard the submarine USS Pompano off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan, during World War II in September 1943, according to the national archives. The cause of Pompano’s fate is still unknown.

Brooks II said in his remarks at the donation presentation, the collection features a few rare covers from the Confederate States of America. He said the collection is primarily made up of 19th Century and World War II stamps and postal mail.

As a way of dealing with “the prolonged agony,” Brooks II said his grandfather gathered this collection to honor his son and his fellow sailors lost at sea.

Brooks II said the collection even features autographs from famous people of the era including former President Dwight Eisenhower, former President Harry Truman, American theoretical physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” and more.

The donation was made by Brooks II, accompanied by his wife, Kathy, and other members of his family. Brooks II currently lives in Lexington where is a senior vice president at Hilliard Lyons and an active member of the Lexington Rotary Club.

“Besides adding considerable depth to our military mail collections, the Brooks family’s gift will make it possible for the National Postal Museum to share their grandfather’s passion for collecting with others,” Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately, said.