Posted on 02/28/2011 4:57:31 PM PST by Military family member
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - What was it like?
What was it like in the trenches? What was it like in all those places whose names have faded in the dusty recesses of memory, places like Ypres and Gallipoli, Verdun and the Marne? What was it like to fight the war that was supposed to make the world safe for democracy?
There's no one left to ask.
(Excerpt) Read more at wthitv.com ...
THANK-YOU Mr. Frank Buckles for your service to the USA. RIP.
With his passing, history’s door on WW 1 is now closed.
We are still living with the aftermath of that war almost 100 years later.
That is true, as reflected not only in regards to current events, for example, look at all the ME uprisings, an effort to erase “borders” and to try to bring back even what we thought could never be seen, a possible Muslim empire.
But while there are aftereffects, the people who were there, who could best explain, are now gone.
WWI veterans were the greatest influences on me as a boy. The stories of war brought back by my grandfather and my great uncles...stories which forever made it impossible for me to see any “glory” in war, are as clear to me today as they were 50+years ago. They were, and are, all my heroes. I have pictures of them where I am sitting right now and also an autographed picture of another hero of mine from that war, Graf Felix von Luckner, commander of the Imperial German commerce raider Seeadler, who managed to sink thousands of tons of Allied shipping at the loss of only one life. Quite a man.
My wife told me of the passing of Mr. Buckles first thing this morning. It made for a sad day....
At 110 I think the man earned his rest. Go home brave man and thank you for your service.
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I am so fortunate to have known intimately as a child and young man several men in my family that had served so valiantly and horrifically in the
“War to End All War”,
“The War to make the World Safe For Democracy”
“The War Against the Hun”
They had no illusions as to the greatness of the cause for which they sacrified lungs, knees, eyes.
And they told me so.
God Blesses those honest men
I guess this counts as graves now.
From the other side.
I have a wonderful letter from my great uncle Willy (Wilhelm Frederich); as aposed to another great uncle (Frederich Wilhelm); to my greatgrandmother.
He was in training at Ft Knox, and was hoping to get a leave to return to Covington on the train before he went to save france.
He recounted to her that he was being trained by a french officer who had so many medals, he “looked like he had come out of a foundry”.
I don’t know if he managed to get home on leave.
But I do know that he managed to save france.
I hear Frank Buckles didn’t see any action during WW I. However, he was interned by the Japanese during WW II, and had some bitter memories of that.
It does. This is a modern history topic, which is important on a political site like FR.
Plus these veterans were part of an era in which, the REAL 20th century began, and the REAL 19th century ended, that of the era of WWI. Also that was when old empires ended and nations as we know of today, emerged as well.
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