Could be others undocumented but it is seemingly unlikely.
Missed the edit window:
"The man believed to be the last living male veteran of World War I has died in Perth aged 110.
British-born Claude Choules served in the Royal Navy during World War I and witnessed the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow."
In Perth, of all places. I’ve been to Perth.
My great-uncle was a veteran of WWI. My Dad still has a number of his souvenirs–maps and service medals and such, and a form letter from George V thanking him for his service. Great-Uncle passed away back in the 1970s. His souvenirs remain, and we treasure them. As, I suppose, Mr. Choules’ family will treasure his.
RIP, Mr. Choules. Thank you.
I liked his answer to the question about the secret to a long life: “keep breathing”.
*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 *
In 25-30 the last WW2 veteran will die.
Time is flying =\
And then 25-30 years after that the last Vietnam Vet, and then another 30 years later the last Vet from Iraq/Afghanistan.
And no doubt there will be other wars in the interim
RIP, Mr. Choules, and thank you.
It was always going to happen yet I feel a little sad.
I was present at the Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane which was the first where there were no Boer War veterans. My grandfather was a Boer War veteran and a Great war veteran.
Dad, close to 90, is a WW 2 vet. 10 years will see him out.
I can still remember when the last few Civil war vets were dying (around 1950). And I think the last Civil war widow died just a few years ago.
Many of the old Civil War vets married young girls into the 20th century. The vets had young wives who could help take care of them, and the widows kept receiving their husbands’ benefits, a win-win situation for the time. I see one report that says the last Confederate war widow was Alberta Martin of Alabama, who died on May 31, 2004 at the age of 97, but there seem to be other claims. The 1994 novel Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All springs to mind.
Oops. The novel was 1989. The fim version was 1994.
And the first thing that he does when he gets up to heaven is find Frank Buckles – a WWI vet who died just a couple of months ago – and say, “In your FACE!”
Why do you/they say last male WWI veteran? How could there be a female WWI veteran?
Maybe there are still-living female participants who served in auxilliary capacities and they don’t want to get into an argument about who is or is not a “veteran”?
Well, except it kind of insults the guy who actually is a veteran to qualify it like that when in fact he was the last damn veteran, period.
Unless he wasn’t.
There is a nurse alive in England who (I understand) served in hospitals in France. I guess she qualifies as a veteran.
92 years after the Armistice. The last WWII vet will have to hold on until 2038. The last WWIII vet will be less impressive, based on how far the shock wave has to travel.