This is a great article as seen at knoxnews.com. It’s a great little read for Memorial Day.
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THE GREAT WARRIOR: Last U.S. WWI veteran has seen, survived much
-By Fred Brown
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va.- Frank Woodruff Buckles is stooped and bent from his 107 years, but he is not bowed. His spirit glows with the life he has lived.
First and foremost, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Buckles is America’s last doughboy.
Of the more than 4 million who served in World War I, called the Great War, he has outlived everyone. His elder, veteran Harry R. Landis, died at 108 in February in Florida.
Buckles is from an era that has almost disappeared into the dust motes of American history.
Woodrow Wilson was president when a teenage Buckles volunteered almost 91 years ago to serve his nation. He has since seen 16 more men enter the White House.
He began making a living long before Social Security. He learned to drive when driver’s licenses were not required.
Buckles is a walking historical encyclopedia, with experiences and memories spanning more than a century.
He lives today with his daughter, Susannah Flanagan, on a 330-acre West Virginia cattle farm that’s been his home since 1954.
He was honored to serve his country, he says. As for living so long, he says his only thoughts are that it’s been nice to see all the changes.
“Longevity has never bothered me at all,” he says. “I have studied longevity for years.”
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