Last Wounded U.S. WWI Veteran Dies at 108

Yahoo News ^

[KantianBurke]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Alfred Pugh, the last known combat-wounded U.S. veteran of World War I, has died. He was 108, just 10 days short of his 109th birthday, when he died Wednesday.

Pugh, who often told visitors the key to a long life is "keep breathing," joined the Army in 1917 and fought in France during World War I with the 77th Infantry Division. In 1918, he was wounded during the Meusse-Argonne offensive, one of the war's bloodiest battles.

He died at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Bay Pines. VA officials said he was the oldest wounded combat veteran in the United States, and one of fewer than 1,000 remaining American World War I veterans.

Friends said he loved the attention that came with being known as the oldest wounded combat veteran in the United States. "It tickled him when the classes would come by the busload to see him," said Pugh's niece Carolyn Layton.

Born Jan. 17, 1895, in Everett, Mass., Pugh raised 16 foster children, played the organ into his 100s and was an avid football and baseball fan.

He is one of 10 veterans profiled in the book, "The Price of their Blood," published last month and co-authored by Jesse Brown, former U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs.

He spoke French and was used overseas as an interpreter until the battle in the Argonne forest, when he inhaled mustard gas that left him unconscious and with chronic laryngitis.

"It was like a fog," Pugh said in an interview in 2002. "... We didn't get any gas masks until the day after it happened."

After the war he returned to Maine and worked as a railroad telegraph operator for 12 years before delivering mail for 26 years. He came to Florida in 1971.

In 1999, he was named chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, a prestigious medal bestowed by the French government.

[KantianBurke]

Looks like the old fella is now back with his comrades. RIP

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[NormsRevenge]

one of fewer than 1,000 remaining American World War I veterans. RIP and Thanks to All those who heeded their country's call to arms.

[DallasMike]

...one of fewer than 1,000 remaining American World War I veterans.

In 25 years we'll see posts about the 1,000 remaining World War II veterans. I can't fathom that. My dad is a WWII vet and this new story reminds me of his mortality.

[templar]

Article doesn't say what he died of. His wounds?

[Squantos]

Tell your Father I said Thank You !

Stay Safe !

[Huck]

My dad fought in WW2 also. Omaha Beach and the Bulge. He passed away from cancer when I was 15. There's a wall somewhere in Normandy with his name and all the others who served in the liberation of the cheese eating surrender monkeys. Oh well. So we had to liberate France in order to beat Hitler. Coulda been worse. ;-)

Enjoy the time with your father. None of us knows when we're called.

[b4its2late]

God Bless him!

[KantianBurke]

being almost 109?

[2banana]

Anyone know of a listing of WWI vets? I would like to meet one before they are all gone.

[Protagoras]

Article doesn't say what he died of. His wounds?

Lack of breath.

[Protagoras]

who served in the liberation of the cheese eating surrender monkeys

I never miss a chance to post this pic.

[AuH2ORepublican]

May God bless his soul.

[Paladin2b]

Rest in peace, American warrior.

Actually, I have to confess: there's something fascinating to me about the longevity of old soldiers. Even more striking to me than Ken Burns' rediscovered footage of the 50th and 75th anniversary Gettysburg reunions is the newly-rereleased film of Czar Nicholas II's coronation in 1896: if you look on the main platform, in addition to assorted Russian nobles and royals, you can see a handful of *very* old bearded men, commoners, but allowed on center stage because they were the last surviving veterans of the Battle of Borodino in 1812! There's something very spine-tingling (to me at least) about someone who may have seen Bonaparte on horseback living to be recorded on video media.

The last authenticated American Civil War veteran died in 1956, the last Spanish-American War vet in 1993. Given the mass conscript forces of the 20th century, along with increased longevity, is it possible that we will be able to see some veterans around on the 100th anniversaries of war events in coming decades?

When they hold commemorations of the Centenary of the Somme or of Verdun in 12 years' time, it seems hopeful to think there might still be a handful of old Frenchmen, Germans, and Brits who were there to be able to join hands. I would like to see that for some reason.

I'm in my mid-30s now, and will count myself lucky if I live to see the centennial of the Second World War, as I think it would be even more possible to see some old soldiers still around then to visit battlefields of what to folks then living will seem an ancient war.

[SkyPilot]

When I heard Aragorn's battle speech in the movie Return of the King I thought of this man's service.

"There may come a day when the courage of men fails, and we break all bonds of fellowship. But today is not that day. Today, we fight!"

[OldCorps]

May God bless this man and all combat veterans.

[MontanaBeth]

Rest in Peace. Thank you for your sacrifice.

[jtminton]

We used to rent half a duplex in Richland, WA from a WWI vet when I was in high school (early 90's). He was cool. 96 years old, took care of his bedridden wife, cooked, cleaned, had a killer garden, and used to argue with me when I would try to mow his lawn. I'd prune the trees for him and he'd pay me a quarter a tree and think I was making out well. Only WWI vet in town. He died about 8 years ago. Henry Owings was his name. Ate KFC four to five times a WEEK and lived to be almost one hundred. RIP.

[pabianice]

Rest in peace, shipmate. Well done.

[twigs]

Very interesting observations. Thank you. I share your wonder that men who may have seen Bonaparte could be on video. I would not have thought that possible.

Did you see the story about the life of the last living Civil War spouse about a decade ago? That one also amazed me. She died I believe in the 1980's.