Re: Last US Veteran of WW1 Turns 110 (UPDATE) Deceased
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 12:10 am
Thank you Mr. Buckles.
May all veterans stay healthy and live to 110.
May all veterans stay healthy and live to 110.
Today NPR replayed a broadcast interview with Mr. Buckles from
3 years ago when he was 107.
He wanted to enlist in the worst way. He was from Missouri and went
into the Marine recruiting office - they turned him down. He went next
to the Navy recruiter - they turned him down.
He went to see the Army recruiter and told the Army recruiter he was of age.
When queried for some documentation, Mr. Buckles told the recruiter that it
was documented in the family Bible, but the Bible was home of course. The
recruiter accepted that verbal lie, and never asked to see the Bible.
During WWI he was an ambulance driver, and also guarded German POW's.
He said that many of the POW's had musical instruments and would play for
long periods of time. The Americans would gather outside the wire enclosing
the prisoners and enjoy the music.
For the younger generation that may not be as familiar with the practice:
Older generations of Americans used to keep the family birth and death records
in the family Bible. This was considered an official record by many government
entities.
Mr. Buckles traveled all over Europe after WW1 and became fluent in German,
French, and Portuguese. He landed a job with a shipping company. He was
captured in the Phillipines by the Japanese and was a POW for 3 or 4 years.
His weight fell to less than 100 pounds.
American forces freed the large number of prisoners in his prison camp with
no loss of Allied lives.
At age 16 he went looking for adventure and his life was a long interesting ride.
Our hats are off to you Mr. Buckles.
SIA