# Last WWI US vet dies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095 "2006-09-01T17:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/1 "2006-09-01T17:40:03Z")
[Link.](http://www.newsdaily.com/TopNews/UPI-1-20060901-12385900-bc-us-johnson-obit.xml) is this right? I knew we were getting down to it, but was he the last? I thought there we had a few more, thousand or so last I heard? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/2 "2006-09-01T18:06:49Z")
> [@Operation Ripper](#): > > I thought there we had a few more, thousand or so last I heard? As of November 2005, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs thought that there were [fewer than 50](http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/amwars.asp) WWI veterans still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/3 "2006-09-01T18:08:30Z")
Interestingly, he’s not in this list: > **[List of last surviving World War I veterans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Veterans_of_the_First_World_War)** > > This is a list of the last known surviving veterans of the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who lived to 1999 or later, along with the last known veterans for countries that participated in the war. Veterans are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of the combatant nations during the conflict, although some states use other definitions. > Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces as a Royal Air Force (WRAF) service member, is genera... If he’s legit, maybe he’s the last survivor from California. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/4 "2006-09-01T18:10:59Z")
I almost hate to quote Wikipedia, but they seem to keep this up to date. Johnson is already been moved to the deceased list. > **[List of last surviving World War I veterans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Veterans_of_the_First_World_War)** > > This is a list of the last known surviving veterans of the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) who lived to 1999 or later, along with the last known veterans for countries that participated in the war. Veterans are defined as people who were members of the armed forces of the combatant nations during the conflict, although some states use other definitions. > Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces as a Royal Air Force (WRAF) service member, is genera... ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/5 "2006-09-01T18:16:17Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > Interestingly, he’s not in this list: > > [List of last surviving World War I veterans - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Veterans_of_the_First_World_War) > > If he’s legit, maybe he’s the last survivor from California. He has been moved to the link titled: _Veterans of the First World War who died in 2006_ ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-wwi-us-vet-dies/371095/6 "2006-09-01T21:18:49Z")
Wow, this then kind of snuck up on me. Mr. Johnson’s passing is quite the **juncture** , where WWI is that much closer to being remembered _only_ in history books.