# Who was the oldest Marine/Soldier/Sailor/ANYONE that served in the Second World War?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 16, 2017, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451 "2017-09-16T06:12:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Architect2017](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Architect2017](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Architect2017)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451/21 "2017-09-18T05:14:10Z")

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> [@Loach](#):
>
> Interesting. That cite doesn’t explain how he got through training.

Well why is it such a surprise? I mean perhaps he was someone who was vigorously exercising and taking care of him.

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**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451/22 "2017-09-18T16:37:01Z")

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If you start looking at the Eastern Front in Europe there are seventy year olds that fought as guerillas or during the siege battles.

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**Author:** ![Architect2017](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Architect2017](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Architect2017)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451/23 "2017-09-18T21:19:41Z")

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I think people really were just so much more physically active than what they are today. Now on the flip side there is a wealth of knowledge available today and numerous programs available to join that can help you stay young and active.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-oldest-marine-soldier-sailor-anyone-that-served-in-the-second-world-war/796451/24 "2017-09-19T01:11:13Z")

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Paul Douglas indeed enlisted as a private and went to Paris Island. After basic, they kept him there for a while as a lecturer.

He rose to Captain in 1943, Major sometime in late 1944 and retired as a Lt. Colonel in late 1946.

Amazing guy but it didn’t happen in one year.

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