RIP, Mr Buckles
The last living World War I vet died yesterday at the age of 110 at his home in Charles Town, WV according to the Associated Press;
When asked in February 2008 how it felt to be the last of his kind, he said simply, “I realized that somebody had to be, and it was me.” And he told The Associated Press he would have done it all over again, “without a doubt.”
On Nov. 11, 2008, the 90th anniversary of the end of the war, Buckles attended a ceremony at the grave of World War I Gen. John Pershing in Arlington National Cemetery.
He was back in Washington a year later to endorse a proposal to rededicate the existing World War I memorial on the National Mall as the official National World War I Memorial. He told a Senate panel it was “an excellent idea.” The memorial was originally built to honor District of Columbia’s war dead.
We had just wished Mr. Buckles a Happy Birthday back on the first of the month.
Thanks to Ponsdorf and VTWoody for the link.
Added: VT Woody sends this photo;
Category: Blue Skies
[…] RIP, Mr Buckles […]
Damn, and with him goes a piece of history… RIP Sir…
He took up the fight for the memorial for an entire generation. I was lucky enough to meet him in person a while back, and every day that I go into the office I drive down the new stretch of 340 in Charlesrown that’s been dedicated in his name.
I don’t know why this has hit me as hard as it has…
soraidh dùthchasach.
Cha d’fhuaireadh facal Beurla mar. 🙁
We must continue with his fight to complete the WWI Memorial. He deserves that much.
It’s my hope that the last 2 remaining WWI veterans that are not American, Claude Choules and Florence Green, will be able to see that come to fruition.
Rest easy, sir.
Rest in Peace, Sir and thank you for your service to our Country
He was at the Grand Opening of the Vet Center I opened in 1985 in Martinsburg, WV. He was there because he thought the Vietnam Vets got such a “raw deal” when they came home compared to him. I thought a raw deal was spending 3+ years in a Jap prison camp. He was a good man. Glad to see they named a highway after him. Cool. He’s with his buddies from WWI and WWII now. Rest in Peace Mr. Buckles.
Honor and Courage
it saddens me to think that the oral history of this veterans will follow and we will never again to be able to ask them to tell their story.