# Another WWI Vet Lost to History **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2007, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818 "2007-12-21T10:18:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/1 "2007-12-21T10:18:09Z")
[More amazing than that is that he **drove** until the age of 104!](http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/21/america/World-War-I-Veteran-Dies.php) > [@](#): > > The last World War I veteran in Ohio, and one of only three known remaining U.S. veterans of the conflict, has died. > > J. Russell Coffey was the last WWI vet in the state, according to the Veterans Affairs Department. He died Thursday at the age of 109, said the Smith-Crates Funeral Home in North Baltimore, about 35 miles south of Toledo. > > The funeral home did not say where Coffey died or the cause of death. He had been living in the Blakely Care Center, a nursing home. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/2 "2007-12-21T13:10:40Z")
[Maybe](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2046,%20WoodrowWilson.jpg) [he’s](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/LivingUncleSam,%20LoRes.jpg) [pictured](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2048,%20LibertyBell.jpg) [somewhere](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2063,%20Human%20US%20Shield.jpg) [here.](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2056,%20Human%20Statue%20of%20Liberty.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/3 "2007-12-21T13:46:09Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] [Maybe](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2046,%20WoodrowWilson.jpg) [he’s](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/LivingUncleSam,%20LoRes.jpg) [pictured](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2048,%20LibertyBell.jpg) [somewhere](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2063,%20Human%20US%20Shield.jpg) [here.](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2056,%20Human%20Statue%20of%20Liberty.jpg) [/QUOTE] Those are some seriously cool photos. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/4 "2007-12-21T16:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] [Maybe](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2046,%20WoodrowWilson.jpg) [he’s](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/LivingUncleSam,%20LoRes.jpg) [pictured](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2048,%20LibertyBell.jpg) [somewhere](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2063,%20Human%20US%20Shield.jpg) [here.](http://www.hammergallery.com/images/peoplepictures/MPH%2056,%20Human%20Statue%20of%20Liberty.jpg) [/QUOTE] Those are amazing. Where did you find them? Eli ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/5 "2007-12-21T17:37:22Z")
They were designed and photographed by Mole & Thomas. If you Google them, various sites will yeild interesting information ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/6 "2007-12-21T17:40:54Z")
> [@](#): > > one of only three known remaining U.S. veterans of the conflict Just yesterday I was wondering how many U.S. WWI veterans were still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/7 "2007-12-21T18:11:49Z")
deleted ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/8 "2007-12-21T18:43:04Z")
I’ve also been wondering how many are left. In 1985 I interviewed and wrote a story about a WWI veteran; I believe he was about 93 then. I enjoyed meeting him so much – although the interview was difficult; he was deaf as a post. His deafness was the reason I found out about him – the local VWF was buying him hearing aids and thought I’d like to do a story on that. I can’t remember if I mentioned the hearing aids of not. I do remember him talking about staying in Germany after the war. He also stood up and recited a poem he’d learned while in Germany – in German – and then translated a bit. I ran his picture in the paper from his days in the service. He was very handsome. It was fairly sad, the state of poverty he’d come to, living in a trailer in rather primitive conditions. He was obviously well-educated. I think of him now and again and wonder when he died. Probably 20 years now. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/9 "2007-12-21T19:16:20Z")
[Surviving veterans of World War I](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_veterans_of_World_War_I) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/10 "2007-12-21T21:14:53Z")
_And the band plays Waltzing Matilda And the old men still answer the call But year after year their numbers get fewer Someday no one will march there at all_ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/11 "2007-12-22T16:16:25Z")
It’s the Kaiser’s curse. Did you know that almost everyone who participated in WWI is dead? Coincidence? I think not. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/12 "2007-12-22T18:01:45Z")
The [last surviving veteran](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Keating) of Ireland’s War of Independence, Dan Keating, died two months ago. He was only 105. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-wwi-vet-lost-to-history/430818/13 "2007-12-22T21:30:55Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] It’s the Kaiser’s curse. Did you know that almost everyone who participated in WWI is dead? Coincidence? I think not. [/QUOTE] Aaah, but that’s what they _want_ you to believe.