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Last US WWI Soldier Dies

Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,889
edited March 2011 in All Encompassing Trip
This sounds boring, but it's actually a fascinating read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/us/01buckles.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

This guy:
-Lied about his age and got into the Army after being rejected by the Marines & Navy.
-Witnessed a ceremony in England honoring vets of the Crimean War
-Was imprisoned by the Japanese after being stuck in the Philippines in 1941 and lost 50 pounds in a POW camp
-Was still driving a tractor at age 106

Very cool. Even though we were only in that war for the last 1 1/2 years.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13;
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24

Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • PureandEasyPureandEasy Posts: 5,815
    Not boring at all, but how could you NOT know he was too young, he looks like he's 12 in that picture.
    Don't come closer or I'll have to go
  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,889
    PureandEasy wrote:
    Not boring at all, but how could you NOT know he was too young, he looks like he's 12 in that picture.

    Yeah really. I have a feeling they weren't all that worried about it.
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13;
    Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
    Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • PureandEasyPureandEasy Posts: 5,815
    What a life though.
    Don't come closer or I'll have to go
  • eddieceddiec Posts: 3,941
    Really good story, thanks. It's crazy how you could lie your way into the US army back then.
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    So fascinating, I saw this yesterday....I hope they do rededicate the WWI memorial and fix it up, just a shame they couldn't have done it while he was still alive :(
  • FlaggFlagg Posts: 5,856
    Yeah, his life had a lot wild turns. That always fascinates me because me and most everyone I know works at the same job or same career in some office for most of their lives.
    DAL-7/5/98,10/17/00,6/9/03,11/15/13
    BOS-9/28/04,9/29/04,6/28/08,6/30/08, 9/5/16, 9/7/16, 9/2/18
    MTL-9/15/05, OTT-9/16/05
    PHL-5/27/06,5/28/06,10/30/09,10/31/09
    CHI-8/2/07,8/5/07,8/23/09,8/24/09
    HTFD-6/27/08
    ATX-10/4/09, 10/12/14
    KC-5/3/2010,STL-5/4/2010
    Bridge School-10/23/2010,10/24/2010
    PJ20-9/3/2011,9/4/2011
    OKC-11/16/13
    SEA-12/6/13
    TUL-10/8/14
  • dr0ptheleashdr0ptheleash Posts: 1,264
    Damn, that was really interesting, thanks for posting. Can't imagine some of the things that guy has seen/been through in his long life.
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,201
    Thank you for the post....just yesterday in the Palm Beach Post there was an article on Mr. Buckles death. He did live an extraordinary life and so did all of these WWI and WWII vets and ANY veteran of past and present wars. I have worked with and cared for Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans and the stories they have shared with me are so unreal these things that happened to them and the fellow vets who fought and died next to them.

    One recent WWII vet who was a radio operator (he just turned 89) that flew over and bombed Germany from England asked me a question. He said do you have a German car "no" do you have a Jap car, I said "no" I told him I have a FORD Explorer he said to very good and instead of a handshake I gave him a fist dap. He said what's this I said it's just an updated hand shake.

    So to Mr Buckles and ALL veterans I stand and give you ALL a salute...amazing people.

    Peace
    *We CAN bomb the World to pieces, but we CAN'T bomb it into PEACE*...Michael Franti

    *MUSIC IS the expression of EMOTION.....and that POLITICS IS merely the DECOY of PERCEPTION*
    .....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

    *The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite INSANE*....Nikola Tesla(a man who shaped our world of electricity with his futuristic inventions)


  • Got a hard hard headGot a hard hard head Posts: 638
    It's such a shame, and indicative of our times that this story nearly passed by with hardly any media interest.

    Each and every one a hero, each and every one responsible for the freedom we all enjoy today.

    I never knew of him before now, but he has my utmost gratitude.
    It's gonna be a glorious day...
  • PureandEasyPureandEasy Posts: 5,815
    This is a little off topic, but it goes to the “fascinating lives” aspect of this post.

    I work with a woman who is from Myanmar (formerly Burma) and she told me of her story of her and her family having to flee the country after they declared martial law and the things that she had to do to get here. To flee government controlled military, she had to hide in sewer grates in fear of her life, she and her family left everything behind. They had a home and stability and it all disappeared in the blink of an eye and they were suddenly fighting for their very livelihoods.

    I can’t even imagine. And she is a workhorse this woman.

    No wonder.

    It just goes to show you that you have no idea what the person next to you may have endured at one time in their lives.
    Don't come closer or I'll have to go
  • Johnny AbruzzoJohnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 11,889
    Wow, great stories. And to think of all the stupid things we bitch & moan about all the time. :roll: (pointing the finger right at myself, of course)
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13;
    Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
    Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • PilateOfTheStormPilateOfTheStorm Posts: 4,319
    wow, makes you think
    the last living link to the two million american ww1 soldiers
    amazing story
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