Posted on 03/06/2008 4:33:31 PM PST by indcons
He fought the Kaiser with the U.S. Army during World War I. As a civilian working in the Philippines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was taken prisoner of war and ate out of the same tin cup for his more than three-year-long imprisonment.
Today, the 107-year-old Frank Buckles—the last known U.S. military veteran to serve during World War I— was honored with a White House visit and was made the guest of honor at a ceremony at the Pentagon where portraits of Buckles and eight other World War I veterans were unveiled.
“Mr. Buckles' mind is sharp, his memory is crisp, and he's been sharing with me some interesting anecdotes,” President Bush said during Buckles' Oval Office visit. “I asked him where he lived, and he said, that reminds me of what General Pershing asked me. And he told the General that he was raised on a farm in Missouri. And the General said, ‘Well, you know, as the crow flies, it's 40 miles from where I was raised.’”
I was similarly impressed by Buckles when I visited him last year with photographer Peter Souza at his 330-acre farm in West Virginia. During the visit, he told me he was still working the tractor at his place past his 100th birthday.
Buckles was a 16-year-old from Missouri when he lied about his age so he could ship off to Europe.
(Excerpt) Read more at weblogs.baltimoresun.com ...
Good old guy,
I wonder how long before the DemoRats call him a baby killer.
Military History Ping
Wish I could shake his hand and thank him for his service.
What an amzing story.
The last of the Doughboys. He watched us go from clipper ships to the Moon; and from semaphore to the Internet. He spoke with Black Jack Pershing. He survived the Japanese camps.
One helluva life, Frank. Ya done good.
Can’t be the last one, I got a great great uncle, living in a nursing home near Corpus Christi, who fought in WWI. Of course his mind is completely gone and he can barely remember whether or not he had lunch today, but he ain’t croaked off yet.
If so you need to bring it to the attention of somebody along with documentation. Everybody’s pretty much convinced this guy is the last.
Would I just love to sit and listen to this guy for a couple of hours.
He'd probably make more sense than Robert Byrd.
He'd make more sense than Robert Byrd.
There, fixed it for you.
God bless and keep him in good health.
In his honor, some lyrics from the patriotic music of the Great War.......
"Johnny, get your gun, get your gun, get your gun
Johnny, show the Hun you're a son-of-a-gun
Hoist the flag and let her fly
Yankee Doodle, do or die
Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit
Yankee to the ranks from the towns and the tanks
Make your Mother proud of you
And the old Red-White-and-Blue"
Leni
It made me remember to call my Dad. WWII vet 376th Bombardment group, B-24's out of Italy, 2 times over Ploesti, he just turned 87 ~ I forgot to come by last night to take out the trash! He's my favorite Veteran of all time.
Awesome post - thanks.
What is a doughboy?
Kudos to an American hero.
You should look into it. Most claim Frank Buckles is the last surviving veteran. If you're uncle is one, too, he at least deserves some mention or notice.
My uncle is pushing 110 and after many yeats of minor strokes and other maladies has no mental facilities left at all. For all intents and purposes Buckles is the last one. Buckles is still aware and sharp. My uncle would be of no interest to a newsie other to gawk at. They don’t interview vegetables. It’s enough for the family to know his past, I doubt if he remembers much of it himself.
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