Last known WWI veteran honored for Memorial Day

[MrBern]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jNYrbhwwpK2QFrtBHpEaPH0DFhkAD90SVBG00

Last known WWI veteran honored for Memorial Day

Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last known living American-born veteran of World War I, was honored Sunday at the Liberty Memorial during Memorial Day weekend celebrations.
"I had a feeling of longevity and that I might be among those who survived, but I didn't know I'd be the No. 1," the 107-year-old veteran said at a ceremony to unveil his portrait.

 

[grey ghost]

a big thank you to all vets on this day..................

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

I had the rare chance to meet Mr. Buckles last November. It's nice to see the appreciation he is getting!

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

Amazing he's up to the trip...

At 107 he gets around pretty well. He just lives the next county over from me. The local paper features frequent articles about him.

 

[anselmo1]

I wonder if he ever received the bonus the US government promised him after WWI? WWII veterans received the GI Bill immediately but the WWI veterans were hung out to dry.

With this gentlemen be the last American WWI survivor, I believe the US government should pay him his bonus and back interest!

 

[H.Johnson]

Mr Harry Patch, Legion D'Honeur

Mr Harry Patch, the only surviving British Army WW1 veteran to actually have fought (and been wounded) on the Western Front, has been awarded the prestigious French Award by the the French Government.

I have had the honour of meeting Mr. Patch (and seeing him receive an honourary University degree) and he is a wonderful man.

Better late than never, as they say...

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I have been monitoring the last survivors of the Great War for a few years, now. World-wide, we are now down to seven, only one in the US, two in England and several others around the world, one the last Australian digger.

There are also two who are in contention, cannot prove they were involved before the War ended, and there are a few who are from the WWI era, but did not fight in the war.

Out of the millions, there are now just a few veterans. Wikipedia has a site on them, keeps track of those who pass on. --one so far in 2009.

I salute them all.

karol

 

[MrBern]

italian in france WWI

Did anyone post this? Its actually Wiki's featured article today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazare_Ponticelli

Lazare Ponticelli (7 December 1897[a] – 12 March 2008) was the last-surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die. Born in Italy, he moved to France in 1906 and lied about his age to join the French Army in 1914. Italy entered the war in 1915, and subsequently Ponticelli was transferred to the Italian Army when authorities discovered his true ancestry.

His state funeral was held on 17 March 2008.

Today, I express the nation's deep emotion and infinite sadness. I salute the Italian boy who came to Paris to earn his living and chose to become French, first in August 1914 when he lied about his age to sign up at 16 for the French Foreign Legion to defend his adopted homeland. Then a second time in 1921, when he decided to remain here for good.
— Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France[7]

 

[MrBern]

list of the last

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_last_surviving_World_War_I_veterans_by_country

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_I

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I didn't post it, but that is the site I monitor.

There is also a link to surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War, only 13 left -- 7 republicans and 6 fascists.

karol

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... surviving veterans of the Spanish Civil War, only 13 left -- 7 republicans and 6 fascists.

Maybe this time, the Spanish republicans will win.


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