Surviving WWI Soldiers

[Don Wassall]

Something that came to mind on Veterans Day and a subject that has always interested me is the last surviving soldiers from long ago wars.


In the 1980s I can remember periodically running across articlesthat detailed the dwindling number of survivors of the Spanish American War of 1898. The last reputed living veteran of that war was Jones Morgan, a black who died in 1993 at the age of 110. It should be noted that the birthdates of aged blacks are often unreliable.


The last living veteran of the 1861-'65War Between the States died in 1959.


According to Wikipedia, there are just 19 U.S. veterans of World War I still alive. The oldest is 114; the youngest is 104.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_the_First (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_the_First_World_War#United_S tates) _World_War#United_States


Now even the youngest WWII vets are pushing 80. Hard to believe. . .Edited by: Don Wassall

[Scronx]

This chronology is an interesting subject. From Dixie Diary, Nationalist Times, Oct. 03:


May 25. WorldNetDaily reports the burial of the last living WW1 vet, but Charles Cook writes to correct them that another such individual – his father – is still living, and will be on the reviewing stand tomorrow in his wheelchair for the Memorial Day parade. On the 28th he reaches age 107! I learn all this via The Alabama Confederate – info on request.


The other day I heard from a normally reliable source that an actual grandson of President John Tyler (1790-1862) is still alive. That would be easier than you might think, e.g. son born in 1855, grandson in1920.

[Don Wassall]

I found out from the Caste Football board that there is still a living Confederate widow. The last one was thought to be Alberta Martin, but since her recent death a 90-year-old widow has been discovered, Maudie Celia Hopkins,currently living in Arkansas, who married a Southern veteran in 1934. There is still a living link to a conflict that ended over 140 years ago!

[Scronx]

This just in (Thanks, Michael!) . Anybody got source? Don't read unless you're ready for a good cry. Wiki link at bottom speaks volumes everyone should know -- score one for the Pope of that era. I've entered that in my main stash of links-to-go, under a title of "THE DAY PEOPLE POWER STOPPED A WORLD WAR -- and politicians cranked it back up with a vengeance." Note esp. the statement "British commanders Sir John French (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_French%2C_1st_Earl_of_Ypres) and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Smith-Dorrien) vowed that no such truce would be allowed again. In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve . . . . " Ah, the everglorious Allies!!!


* * * * * * *


Last Allied veteran ofYule Truce dies

Last allied witness of WWI Christmas truce dies

By PETER GRAFF
Reuters Monday, 21 November 2005 / 2:35 pm GMT

LONDON— The last known surviving allied veteran of the Christmas Truce
that saw German and British soldiers shake hands between the trenches
in World War One died on Monday at 109, his parish priest said.
<DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #a0c6e5 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>
<DIV>


Alfred Anderson was the oldest man in Scotland and the last known surviving
Scottish veteran of the war.


"I remember the silence, the eerie sound of silence," he was quoted as saying
in the Observer newspaper last year, describing the day-long Christmas Truce
of 1914, which began spontaneously when German soldiers sang carols in
the trenches, and British soldiers responded in English.


"All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and
whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices. But
there was a dead silence that morning across the land as far as you could see.


"We shouted 'Merry Christmas' even though nobody felt merry. The silence
ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again."


Troops in the trenches swapped cigarettes, uniform buttons and addresses
and even played football in one of the most extraordinary episodes of the war.


Parish priest Neil Gardner of Anderson's Alyth Parish Church in Scotland said
he had died in his sleep and was survived by a large family, including 18 great
grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.


"He was a wonderful old man: he was gracious, gentle, he had a great sense
of humour and a fine sense of wisdom from his experience spanning three
centuries," said Gardner, who also served as chaplain to Anderson's regiment,
the Black Watch.


Anderson also served briefly as a member of the household staff of Queen
Elizabeth's uncle, Fergus Bowes-Lyon.


With Anderson's death, fewer than 10 British veterans of the war remain alive,
of whom only three or four were veterans of trench warfare on the Western Front.


Attention has turned to the last survivors in recent weeks, with filmmakers
bringing out documentaries in time for this month's Armistice Day holiday, marking
the day the guns fell silent on November 11, 1918.





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV>Edited by: nelson

[Marlow]

I saw the "History" Channel documentary on the Xmas truce a couple of years ago. It's one of the only really great things that channel has produced. And yes, my eyes were "watering" through the whole thing.


I remember hearing in high school history class that an unofficial truce to end WWIwas made on Nov. 8th, and that the leaders decided to let the fighting go on for three more days. With that, they could have the war end on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. Don't know if it's true, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Scronx]

Great, Marlow. I went to the HC to try to buy one and it says it will be airing this Monday at 6 AM on THC Classroom.


http://www.historychannel.com/thcsearch/thc_search.do?keywor ds=christmas+truce&amp;networkCode=THC (http://www.historychannel.com/thcsearch/thc_search.do?keywords=christmas+truce&amp;networkCode =THC)


Why such a weird hour? Maybethey don't like to say the word Christmas anymore, it's so offensive? I failed to order the item -- when I clicked "add to cart" I got a blank screen.


More info:


http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&amp;num=10&amp;hl=en&amp; btnG=Google+Search&amp;as_epq=christmas+truce&amp;as_oq=&amp ; ;as_eq=&amp;lr=&amp;as_ft=i&amp;as_filetype=&amp;as_qdr=all& amp; amp;as_occt=any&amp;as_dt=i&amp;as_sitesearch=&amp;as_rights =&amp;safe=images (http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&amp;num=10&amp;hl=en&amp; btnG=Google+Search&amp;as_epq=christmas+truce&amp;as_oq=&amp; ;as_eq=&amp;lr=&amp;as_ft=i&amp;as_filetype=&amp;as_qdr=all&amp; amp;as_occt=any&amp;as_dt=i&amp;as_sitesearch=&amp;as_rights =&amp;safe=images)


THE GOOD OLD DAYS


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/world_w (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/world_war_i/197627.stm) ar_i/197627.stm


This was not, however, a unique occurrence in the history of war. Though it surprised people at the time - and continues to do so today - it was a resurgence of a long established tradition.


Informal truces and small armistices have often taken place during prolonged periods of fighting and the military history of the last two centuries, in particular, abounds with incidents of friendship between enemies.


In the Peninsula War British and French Troops at times visited each others lines, drew water at the same wells and even sat around the same campfire sharing their rations and playing cards.


In the Crimean War British, French and Russians at quiet times also gathered around the same fire, smoking and drinking. In the American Civil War Yankees and Rebels traded tobacco, coffee and newspapers, fished peacefully on opposite sides of the same stream and even collected wild blackberries together. Similar stories are told of the Boer War, in which on one occasion, during a conference of commanders, the rank and file of both sides engaged in a friendly game of football.


Later wars too have their small crop of such stories. It is rare for a conflict at close quarters to continue very long without some generous gestures between enemies or an upsurge in the 'live and let live' spirit. So the Christmas truce of 1914 does not stand alone; on the other hand it is undoubtedly the greatest example of its kind............Edited by: nelson

[Scronx]

I found out from the Caste Football board that there is still a living Confederate widow. The last one was thought to be Alberta Martin, but since her recent death a 90-year-old widow has been discovered, Maudie Celia Hopkins,currently living in Arkansas, who married a Southern veteran in 1934. There is still a living link to a conflict that ended over 140 years ago!





You found that out reading Dixie Diary too, Don -- TNT, Feb. 05. smileys/smiley36.gif

[Don Wassall]

I found out from the Caste Football board that there is still a living Confederate widow. The last one was thought to be Alberta Martin, but since her recent death a 90-year-old widow has been discovered, Maudie Celia Hopkins,currently living in Arkansas, who married a Southern veteran in 1934. There is still a living link to a conflict that ended over 140 years ago!





You found that out reading Dixie Diary too, Don -- TNT, Feb. 05. smileys/smiley36.gif





Interesting, because my Feb. '05 issue of The Nationalist Timesdoesn't contain an installment of Dixie Diary. smileys/smiley36.gifsmileys/smiley36.gif

[Colonel_Reb]

Actually, I was the one that informed Don of that, and I have known about it since early June of 2004, right after Mrs. Martin died. I actually went to Mrs. Hopkins home and interviewed her after I found out she lived a mere 40 miles from me. It was really something! I check up on her from time to time, and she is still doing fairly well, considering she's 90 and has a couple of ailments. She received a Confederate widow's pension from the state of Arkansas starting in October of 2004, thanks to the help of the local Daughters of the Confederacy. Mrs. Hopkins is a very nice and very Southern lady. She didn't have hardly anything when she was growing up, and she still doesn't have much. I am glad she got the pension. Edited by: Colonel_Reb

[Scronx]

Good field report, Reb! I know Mrs. Hopkins was touched by your interest. There was a big fight over Mrs. Martin's pension, in which as I recall Kirk Lyons and co. (SLRC, Black Mtn NC) vindicated her case. As I recall, Tony Horwitz (literary cockroach formerly with the Wall St. Jewrnal) alleged in his hateful and dimwitted book Confederates in the Attic that her husband had deserted the Confederate army. In a way I'm glad he did -- great embarrassment for the left.


You trumped me good re DD, Don -- I did report it but will have to check my hard copies as to which issue that item went into. Siiigghh....... why can't it be enough to check the version in your email vaults? smileys/smiley2.gif

[Michael]

It is worthy to note how with the Christmas Truce of 1914, how close World War One came to ending years sooner but there were forces that needed the war to go on to create the chaos we have today.

[Scronx]

For some reason this seems to be the year of Christmas Truce revival. The other day on (?) PBS I heard folk singer John McDermott sing a beautiful, wrenching song by John McCutcheon about it, and the Jan 06 issue of British Heritage mag has a one pager on it.

[Scronx]

Actually, I was the one that informed Don of that, and I have known about it since early June of 2004, right after Mrs. Martin died. I actually went to Mrs. Hopkins home and interviewed her after I found out she lived a mere 40 miles from me. It was really something! She received a Confederate widow's pension from the state of Arkansas starting in October of 2004, thanks to the help of the local Daughters of the Confederacy.


Have just posted a bit more about "real sons" of the CSA in the Miracles thread. Search for it here if interested, e.g. by keywords cromer, nickerson or carpools:


http://www.anu.org/forum/search_form.asp?FID=8 (http://www.anu.org/forum/search_&#102;orm.asp?FID=8)

[Michael]

On Christmas Eve 1914, Christmas truce started in Europe. The White race came very close to true and lasting peace between Whites but there were nonwhites among us. The peace likely would not have come immediately because the old and powerful even among our own race would have pushed for a time but without the Zionist to stroke their greed and the Balfour Declaration which ensured no peace until the time of the Jew is over. But their can be no peace anyway as long as there are nonwhites (especially Zionist) within our lands.








The Christmas truce very well may mark a turning point within our race when our people began to see themselves as Whites in addition to being members of their nations.


Merry Christmas everyone!


http://www.rense.com/general74/trce.htm

[jaxvid]

I wonder if the Hutu's and Tsutsi's declare a truce from their mutal slaugher during the "7 days of Kwanzaa" and get together and exchange fruits, vegetables, and 40 ounce malt liquors?

[Don Wassall]

According to Wikipedia, there are now just 52 verified WWI veterans still alive. Eleven live in the U.S.; a year ago there was nineteen It'sbeen over 88years since that senseless conflict ended. Another few years and all the WWI vets will be gone.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_World_War _I (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_World_War_I)

[Don Wassall]

And now there's just three U.S. WWI vets still alive. From AP:


Lloyd Brown, the last known surviving World War I U.S. Navy veteran, has died. He was 105.. . His death comes days after the death of the last known surviving American female World War I veteran, Charlotte L. Winters, 109.


The deaths leave three known survivors who served in the Army, and a fourth who lives in Washington State but served in the Canadian army, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. . .

[Don Wassall]

Now the number is just two. J. Russell Coffey died the other day at 109, leaving Frank Buckles, 106 and Harry Landis, 108, as the last two living U.S. veterans of WWI. When I started this thread two years ago there was 19.


The last surviving Canadian who fought in the war, John Babcock, 107, lives in Spokane.

[Don Wassall]

Harry Landis has died, leaving Frank Buckles as the solesurviving U.S. WWI veteran.

[Michael]

An article entitled "The last of the many: The only three surviving British WWI veterans remember the millions who fell"





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1084751/The-The-surv (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1084751/The-The-surviving-British-WWI-veterans-remember-milli&#111;ns-fell.html) iving-British-WWI-veterans-remember-millions-fell.html

[Don Wassall]

<DIV>Frank Bucklestestified at a Senate hearing:</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Last American WWI survivor seeks memorial in DC </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Ninety years after surviving World War I and 60 years after enduring a Japanese prisoner of war camp, Frank Woodruff Buckles on Thursday emerged unscathed from a Senate hearing.


The only living American-born veteran of World War I, now 108, was on Capitol Hill to lend his support for legislation, named in his honor, to dedicate a World War I memorial on the National Mall.


"An excellent idea," Buckles told a panel of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.


Before the hearing, Buckles, wearing a ribbon commemorating his service, was greeted and shook hands with a procession of senators, including subcommittee chairman Mark Udall, D-Colo., and his home-state senator, Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, followed by a group of high school students serving as Senate pages.


Buckles, born in 1901, talked his way into the Army at age 16. He drove ambulances and motorcycles and helped return prisoners of war to Germany after the armistice. He was working as a civilian for an American shipping company when he was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942 and spent three years in a prison camp.


His daughter Susannah Buckles Flanagan, who lives with him on a farm in Charles Town, W.Va., said her father, who uses a wheelchair, now has difficulty hearing but still enjoys reading and exercise every day.


The centenarian is lending his name to legislation that would rededicate a monument now honoring District of Columbia World War I veterans as a memorial for the more than 4 million Americans who served in the war. The Mall already has memorials honoring veterans of World War II and the conflicts in Vietnam and Korea.


The legislation has competition: Missouri lawmakers are promoting a measure that has passed the House that would designate Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., as the National World War I Memorial. Gen. John Pershing and four Allied military leaders attended the dedication of that 217-foot structure in 1921.


The National World War I Museum, designated by Congress as the war's official museum, opened at Liberty Memorial in 2006.


Paul Strauss, a District of Columbia politician who advocates giving D.C. citizens a vote in Congress, also objected to a national takeover of the local monument, saying it "diminishes an already disenfranchised population."
<DIV></DIV>http://www.wtop.com/?nid=596&amp;sid=1829819</DIV>

[Michael]

An article entitled "'Time of my life': Great-grandmother, 108, emerges as last known British survivor who served in the Great War"


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1243578/Time-life-Gr (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1243578/Time-life-Great-grandmother-108-emerges-known-British-survivor-served-Great-War.html) eat-grandmother-108-emerges-known-British-survivor-served-Gr eat-War.html