Honoring America's Last Surviving Doughboy

Again, not the typical Easter post, but this has been sitting in my email since the 8th and its darn time I got rid of it.

Frank Woodruff Buckles is recognized as the oldest surviving U.S. 'Doughboy' - a vet of World War I.

His story is genuinely fascinating. He exaggerated his age to join the Army at 15, headed overseas on the same ship that rescued the Titanic survivors, and drove ambulances in Europe during the war.

Jump ahead to WWII, where he is captured by the Japanese in the Philippines and spends 39 months as their captive, eating all his meals from a single cup. He still holds  the cup dear as a memento of the sacrifices he made for his country.

Now 107, he was honored earlier this month at the White House by President Bush.

A full copy of the article can be found here.

A great story, but its sad to think he's the last known U.S. veteran of the Great War.

I thought hard about finding any personal story to relate about WWI, but largely drew a blank. My paternal Great-Grandfather fought with the U.S. Army, but he died before I was born. I think my only known contact with a WWI vet was a man I helped during a field trip to a nursing home in fourth grade (roundabout 1984).

His name was something like Earnest, and I was assigned to help him with his bingo card, for all the good I did him. I remember liking him because he reminded me of my recently deceased grandfather.

That's it. Not exactly an in-depth connection to the war. Part of the disconnect is no doubt due to the idea that the war was just a 'introduction' to the devastation of the '40's (and of course the last 'big' war fought largely without radio, motion pictures, and newsreels covering every moment). It never received the attention its successor did, that's for sure.

One odd thing. Consider this:

WWI, which always came off as ancient and distant in my youth, as if it should have been prefaced by 'once upon a time, long ago . ." was less than 60 years in the past when I was a small child. 

Now WWII, which appeared so 'current' and relevant in my childhood, stands further away than that in the scheme of things - nearly 63 years since Germany surrendered.

Crazy.

Thanks Frank, for your sacrifices and the service you and your countrymen gave this nation.

Tags: Frank Woodruff Buckles, WWI,