And then there were two ....

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZk2NFR9uHn9ogmTX13ft_V_aYMAD8TLUTCG0

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — J. Russell Coffey, the oldest known surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, has died. The retired teacher, one of only three U.S. veterans from the "war to end all wars," was 109.

The two remaining U.S. veterans are Frank Buckles, 106, of Charles Town, W.Va.; and Harry Richard Landis, 108, of Sun City Center, Fla., according to the Veterans Affairs Department. In addition, John Babcock, 107, of Spokane, Wash., served in the Canadian army and is the last known Canadian veteran of the war.

Among the other World War I veterans who died this year were Emiliano Mercado del Toro, 115, who ranked as world's oldest person for the last weeks of his life, and Charlotte Winters, 109, the last known American female veteran of the war.

 

Two lives.

 

That alone is enough for me to remember the man. Add in a lifetime of service and education and, well, he has to be a hero to handfuls of people.

 

I read something recently that leeft me under the impression that Buckles was the oldest living combat veteran of WWI.

 

Could be right. The story here was pretty clear that Coffey never saw combat.

 

pussy

 

These men are all older than the Wright Bros. first flight. Never fails to amaze me.

 

It wasn't very long ago (maybe 25 years, I was a kid but still remember) there were bunches and bunches of WWI vets still alive. My great-grandfather was one; he passed away in 1988.

In another 25 years, we will be down to our last living WWII vets. Keep them in mind if you have any of these in your circle. Very few of them will make it as long as 100 and they will be gone before you know it.